Water can be public or private. Public water comes from municipal sources and makes up the majority of water usage. Private water is bottled and sold for profit by major corporations. Most bottled water comes from public sources like taps and is bottled and marketed as safer than tap water. However, bottled water poses environmental risks from plastic waste and may leach chemicals from plastic bottles with prolonged storage. The safety of both public and private water sources depends on location and quality of testing and treatment.

1. Water: Public vs. Private by Andrew Morgan

2. A few water facts 3% of water on earth is fresh water. 30 billion gallons of ground water is pumped daily for consumption. 92 gallons are used to manufacture a car. 2-7 barrels used per one barrel of oil. One microchip = 8 gallons of water.

3. Public water Water that is not privately owned, such as municipal water supply. Tap water, shower water, sprinkler systems. Basically, what you pay your water bill for.

4. Private Water Water in a glass or plastic bottle and sold for profit. This includes drinking water, carbonized water, mineral water, distilled water, etc. 3 largest corporations that own private water are Nestle, Pepsi, and Coca-Cola.

5. Sources of Private Water Most bottled water comes from public sources. This includes reservoirs, lakes, and rivers. It is bottled then sold as a “pure” or “safe” alternative to tap water. Companies that sell bottled water now must include the source on the label.

6. The Business Side In many cases, private water companies hold monopolies in poor or developing nations, since most don’t have access to safe public sources. In industrialized or rich nations, there are only minor differences between private and public water since public sources are tested many times per day for toxins and pollutants. It is impossible for the FDA to ensure the safety of billions of bottles of water. For many people, bottled water is like fast food, it’s a convenient “on-the-go” way to stay hydrated.

7. Dangers of Private Water Since bottled water comes mostly in plastic bottles, it is a environmental concern. Plastic bottles usually wind up on beaches, riversides, and in the oceans. Plastic is made from refined oil. When left in the heat for extended periods of time, toxic chemicals called styrene and phthalates can contaminate bottled water making it unsafe to drink.

8. Dangers of Public Water Depending on where you live, public water sources are both safe and unsafe. In areas where natural gas drilling takes place, ground water is highly contaminated and can actually be set on fire. Without some sort of filtering, no amount of testing can ensure the safety of public water sources. Many people use filters on their faucets and pitchers.

9. Conclusion Water is essential for the sustainability of life. However a person gets it or prefers to get it is up to them. Water is more precious than oil, but it is wasted and polluted more.

10. Sources 2009 Documentary film “Tapped.” Directed by Stephanie Soechtig and Jason Lindsey. 2009 Documentary film “Blue Gold: World Water Wars.” Directed by Sam Bozzo. 2010 Documentary film “GasLand.” Directed by Josh Fox. Wikipedia article “Water privatization.”