City Tap Water

• City tap water must meet EPA standards for certain toxic or carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemicals and must be tested every three months for many chemical contaminants. Furthermore, city tap water must be tested by laboratories certified by the U.S. government; this is not a requirement for bottled water.
  
  

Cost

• According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), water utility companies spend nearly 20 times more, annually, on water treatment chemicals than the U.S. government spends on protecting water sources from pollution. The EWG has called for a nationwide assessment of drinking water quality.
  
  

Testing

• According to SAHRA, domestic water supplies should be tested, at the tap, for hardness, sodium, chloride, and other contaminants such as arsenic, mercury, and lead. They should also be inspected on a monthly basis for changes in color, taste, odor, and turbidity.