Bottled water and water coolers are currently one of the fastest growing sectors of the drinks industry, and so many people seem to prefer drinking bottled water rather than tap water, but is there much difference between the two? Some critics seem to think that people are reaching for the bottled water because of the status impact, the bottles look different, there are pricier options and they give the idea of a pure healthy lifestyle. Compared to tap water, which a lot of people comment does not taste as nice, they are worried about the different chemicals used in it and how clean it really is due to recent news scandals.

Environmentalists are now worried about the amount of people who do choose to drink bottled water over what comes out of our taps due to the wastage. The bottles are generally thrown away, instead of being re-used or recycled. Which affects our usage of petroleum, which is used to make plastic. As we all know that resources like these are finite, we rarely think twice about throwing our water bottles after a car journey or trip to the park, as all that is thought about is the inconvenience of having to carry that bottle around for the rest of the day. This results in only 12% of all water bottles being recycled.

The growth in the popularity of bottled water over the years could just be due to convenience; however it also may be attributed to the recent facts publicized about tap water. It has been found that 2000 toxic chemicals have been found in some supplies of tap water, one which being weed killer. However they are only required to test for six of these in our drinking water. Scarily it has been found that 20% of our community water systems have recently been unable to meet the minimum standards to be pumped into our homes.

The plants that make our water safe for drinking use very specific and advance technological process to treat the water, however they are not specifically made to clear water of pharmaceuticals that may have entered the water. Such as bleomycin, which is used in cancer chemotherapy. Although they are only at trace level, I still would not be comfortable drinking them, no matter what level they are!

The plusses of tap water have to be that it is free and easy to access, rather than going to the shop to buy water. However I'm sure the hit and miss aspect of what could be in our water at the moment means that a lot of people unsure of drinking it.

Bottled water however you can afford to be picky, as there are so many different kinds out there let alone water coolers, and they show you exactly what is in the bottle, on the bottle! Also you know that they have been filtered as you can always taste the purity compared to tap water. You don't have to worry about water leaks and contamination that may be happening in that area.

As an employer it's always good to have a watercooler, as you can place it wherever you like, which is beneficial if your office is spacious, or drinking water is not nearby for some workers. They are also easier to replace, leaks are easier to repair and you can easily keep them up to date compared to a plumbing system.