A. Sales of bottled water grew to $18.5 billion in 2017 (14 billion gallons of bottled water), an increase of 8.8% over previous year. Sales of bottled water in 2020 increased slightly over that period to 15 billion gallons of bottled water for approximately $20 billion. There are more regulations on tap water than bottled water. The bottled water that millions of Americans drink each day is allowed to contain higher levels of a toxic chemical associated with birth defects and cancer than tap water, according to a bottled water expert from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) who testified in the US Senate.
NRDC says that Americans have the right to know what toxic chemicals and other contaminants, including nitrates, are in their bottled water. Unlike utility companies, bottled water companies are not required to report about the contaminants in their bottled water or whether health standards have been violated. According to NRDC, “the public should not assume that water purchased in a bottle is better regulated, more pure, or safer than most tap water”. This is a fallacy in public opinion.
