Buying bottled water

Bottled water in Canada for buying purpose has been generally good. Chemical wise and quality and it is considered that it does not pose a threat to your health. Drinkers should be aware of that a good label doesn't mean its good quality in drinking bottled water. Scientist insist on long time and faithful customers call the phone number on the label. It is also recommended that customers buy no-spill caps. The reason behind no- spill caps is to make sure that the air does not enter the bottle and contaminate the water.

The Canadian Bottled Water Association

The Canadian Bottled Water Association was founded in 1992. They were made to represent Canada when it come to the subject bottle water. On their web site it gives valuable information on brand names and what to buy. The short form for the Canadian Bottled Water Association is CBWA. The CBWA members are Canadian bottled water companies, and equipment manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and others who wish to join the association. There are four categories of members: 1. Bottler, 2. Distributor, 3. Supplier, 4. Associate member. CBWA members produce and distribute 85% of the bottled waters sold in Canada. Statistics Canada includes soft drinks, bottled water and ice manufacturing aggregated together into one category. However there is not a separated category for just Canadian bottled water. So many Canadians are unsure and sometimes not aware of the statistics of their drinking habits affecting the earth.

Should you buy bottled water?

It is possible that some bottled water, such as demineralized water or distilled water, is simply tap water that has undergone a process to lower the mineral content and to remove chemicals such as chlorine. There's no point in buying bottle water when you can just get it from the tap, and its still tastes good. There's fountain everywhere where you can just re-fill your water bottle and you can just get it for free! While the distillation process removes most of the bacteria, distillation alone cannot guarantee that bacteria will be absent in the final product. For example, unless the reservoir and/or bottle are sterilized before being filled, microorganisms can be introduced during the filling if appropriate care is not taken. Also, once the filled container is opened, the water is exposed to microorganisms.

Bottled water can cause illness

Untreated water from wells and other places could have a lot of disease-causing organisms such as bacteria, parasites and viruses to cause illness. Illness caused by bottled water is very rare in Canada because it is treated, and disinfected. Bacteria is in most bottle water that is sold for drinking. Many studies have shown that the levels of bacteria increase quickly to maximum levels after six weeks of unrefrigerated shelf life.

Water Bottles & Landfills

An on-the-go society combined with a lot of health consumers has turned the single bottle of water into a national icon. Now according to a report released today by the Alberta Department of Conservation, billions of these empty icons are causing serious environmental problems. According to the report, more than 1 billion water bottles are winding up in the trash in Alberta each year. That translates into nearly 3 million empty water bottles going to the trash every day and an estimated $26 million in unclaimed Alberta Refund Value (CRV) deposits annually. If recycled, the raw materials from those bottles could be used to make 74 million square feet of carpet, 74 million extra large T-shirts or 16 million sweaters, among other things. Young feels the growing problem could be solved with a small amount of help from consumers. “The real challenge is making people aware that their water bottles are recyclable and convincing them to hold onto them until they can be recycled. Especially when it isn't’t always convenient. In the end, the small extra effort could help avert a big environmental problem. A quote from David Suzuki "I think in Canada it's absolutely disgusting that people are so uncertain about their water that we buy it, paying more for bottled water than we do for gasoline".

Bottled water standards

Bottled water is classified as a food. It is subject to the same surveillance that would apply to any food commodity marketed in Canada. The Department is contemplating more stringent regulations to limit levels of specific chemical contaminants for all bottled waters including spring and mineral waters. If you can't refrigerate bottled water, store it in a cool, clean environment away from heat and sunlight. Although manufacturers give bottled water a best-before-date or shelf-life of two years, Health Canada suggests you replace it after a year.

Bottled water storage

To maintain the purity of bottled water, Health Canada recommends that you refrigerate the smaller bottled water once it is opened, and preferably once you buy it. Check the bottling date and best-before-date on the bottle to determine how fresh the product is. Like many other food products, bottled water normally contains low numbers of harmless bacteria. However, if stored for prolonged periods at room temperatures, these bacteria can multiply rapidly. A 1988 Health Canada study of bottled water kept at room temperature for 30 days showed a substantial increase in the bacterial count. Bottle water can be storage in a cold basement or storage area in case a problems happens. The water bottle should be kept cool and dark. Manufacturers indicate water bottle has a two year shelf life. Health Canada is aware of reports on the Internet say things like when bottle water is exposed to the summer heat there are concerns of release of cancer-causing chemicals from the plastic into the bottled water. There is no scientific evidence to supports this.

Background: Reuben, Music: Nick, PJMS
Research: Ben & Amy, ADHS
Photos: Stock.xchng - the leading free stock photography site. Stock.XCHNG. 21 Feb. 2009 <http://www.sxc.hu/>.

Citations: Stock.xchng. 2001. HAAP Media Ltd. 14 Jan. 2009 <http://www.sxc.hu/index.html>.

All information from: Health Canada. Health Canada. 14 Jan. 2009 <http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/facts- faits/faqs_bottle_water-eau_embouteillee- eng.php#tphp>.

Bottle Water Info. Bottle Water Info. 2003. 19 Jan. 2009 <http://www.bottledwaterinfo.com/>.