More than half of all Americans drink bottled water; about a third of the public consumes it regularly. Sales have been fueled by ubiquitous ads picturing towering mountains, pristine glaciers, and crystal-clear springs nestled in untouched forests yielding absolutely pure water. However the supposed purity of bottle water is challenged by many facts including; bottled water standards are far less stringent than those for tap water, and the 1.5 million plastic water bottles that are discarded every year fuel demand for petroleum and are toxic to the environment.
