How bottled water is different from tap water
There are differences between bottled water and tap water even though they both refer to drinking water. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates tap water supplies, but the Food and Drug Administration regulates the bottled water industry once border crossings are involved. However, if bottled water is sold within a state, then it does not come under the administration of the Food and Drug Administration.
There are government standards in place for tap water, but none exist for bottled water. No coliform bacteria are allowed to be present in tap water, but they are permitted in bottled water. When tap water comes from a lake or a pond, then a filtration system must be in place. There is no mandate in place for bottled water and it does not require any filtering system to be in place at all.
All tap water is checked to make sure that there are no toxic chemicals present, such as phthalate. There is no such check performed on bottled water. A pathogen test is also carried out on tap water, but not on bottled water.
Tap water is basically free, even if homeowners and business owners have to pay a water tax each year. Bottled water, on the other hand, has to be purchased in a store.