Vancouver tap water is awesome. Our tap water regularly ranks among the best in the world, and the City of Vancouver has committed to making it even better by 2020.
What is so great about our tap water? It comes from rain and snowmelt in the Capilano, Seymour and Coquitlam Watersheds before going through world-class treatment facilities. While it is pretty pure to begin with, on its way from the reservoirs to our taps it is filtered meticulously to remove particulates, organic matter and micro-organisms, disinfected, and pH-adjusted.
Opting to drink tap water over packaged beverages has many benefits. Packaged beverages often hide surprising amounts of sugar, and while occasional sugary drinks might not be harmful, the cumulative impact of sugar-sweetened and bottled beverages on your health, wallet, and the environment is considerable – and a good reason to think about the overall impact of the drinks you consume!
1. Health Benefits
We all know how important it is to stay hydrated, but it is not always clear how our beverage choices impact our health. Evidence links the consumption of sugary drinks to excess weight gain and an increased risk of chronic disease and tooth decay. The solution? Drink water most often! Make it more exciting by adding fresh fruit and herbs like strawberries and basil for a delicious hint of flavour.
2. Save Money
All UBC Food Services locations, including the Residence Dining Rooms, offer free tap water. When you are out and about, Metro Vancouver’s TapMap is a great way to find free places to refill water bottles. When you consider that bottled water and other beverages are a 100% markup on free tap water, the math is simple: After the initial investment in a water bottle, tap water will save you money!
3. Reduce Waste
Bottled water vs. tap water…what’s better? Water is universally better for you than sugar-sweetened beverages, but often bottled water is simply re-packaged municipal tap water. Opting for tap water over bottled water not only reduces waste from single-use containers and requires less energy to transport, but in Metro Vancouver tap water is held to much higher safety standards than bottled water. Plus, even recyclable bottles require energy and resources, and millions of single-use water bottles still end up in our landfills. SEEDS investigated the sustainability of bottled water vs. tap water a few years ago.
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