Going to the sink and running you a glass of clear, cold water do not take much effort. But have you considered where your drinking water comes from and if it is safe. Sure, we buy bottles of water each year but who makes sure that the water found within those plastic cocoons is actually safe for human consumption?

It is a complex process that begins with your bottle or glass of water and continues on to the federal government. If you have not given your drinking water much thought it is time to do so because there are plenty of chances you are taking each time you take a drink of water.

So for your informative pleasure this article will take you through some of the questions you may have about your drinking water. From source to tap this is your one-stop-drinking information.

Are there better bottled waters for you versus some others?

Well, that depends on who you ask. Many bottling companies market their products as "pure" when in reality they may be from the same water source that comes from your kitchen sink. Other companies are now adding flavors and vitamins to their waters in order to entice more consumers into choosing their brands over the competition. It really comes down to personal taste and preference.

Is it considered protected under the Safe Drinking Water Act?

Well water is not considered protected under the Safe Drinking Water Act set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency due to it is not being consumed by the public. In fact the SDWA only covers areas in which ten or more homes are using the same source water. Your private water supply will need to be monitored by you but you can buy kits that test the quality of your water to ensure that it is safe for your consumption.

What is the Safe Drinking Water Act?

In 1974 Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act as a way to monitor the drinking water standards of all US public drinking water facilities. It does not cover well water but it does cover bottled water facilities. It does cover ground well water sources where public water facilities tap into though and of course rivers, streams and lakes.

What is this backlash about bottled drinking water about?

A few years ago a major bottling company of water was discovered to be using tap water as their "pure mountain spring water" instead of what they advertised. This helped fuel the debate on whether or not bottled water was any better for you than tap water.

Conservationists and environmental protection agencies have long argued that this trend towards bottled water is harming the environment. The sheer volumes of plastic water bottles in our landfills are testament to that fact.