Tap water? Do you use it? Drink your tea and coffee with tap water. Do you purchase bottled water or fill a water bottle with tap water when you need to bring water with you when you leave the house for activities like school, work, the gym, or a run?
One of the primary reasons individuals install water filters in their homes is to ensure they have access to cleaner water for consumption, whether for health or taste reasons. And it's one of the primary draws of bottled water, alongside its portability.
Bottled water: convenience & availability
To be objective, let's start with bottled water's benefits.
The primary benefit is its portability and ease of use; the liquid is readily accessible, and the bottles are small, disposable, and preferably sanitary. Most of these benefits pertain to consuming water while on the road.
When purchased for use away from home, bottled water is often available quickly chilled; if you like something with a little flavor or some bubbles, you may get that, too. To stay hydrated while on the run, grab a bottle.
Filtered water is more similar to tap water in this regard:
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It would be best if you remembered to bring it with you.
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You should carry it before you need that drink.
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You must pour it into a suitable container (which requires regular washing, especially if you flavor your water with a slice of lemon or a drop of dilutable squash).
Filtered water: as good for you -- or better -- than bottled
Filtered water is just as healthy, if not healthier, than bottled water.
These days, it's easy to get bottled water at any supermarket or convenience shop, and many of the brands (particularly the less expensive ones) are essentially filtered or otherwise treated tap water. In truth, bottled water is likely to have been filtered using the same technologies used in household water filtration systems unless the water's origin is mentioned on the bottle (such waters are typically advertised as "mineral water").
