Would you like some water tap or bottle?

Why shell out extra bucks for bottled water when you could get tap water for free? Is bottled water cleaner?

Despite public belief, tap water could actually be more pure than some bottled water, according to a report from the General Accountability Office on Wednesday. The report found notable disparities between the management of public drinking water systems and the bottled water industry.

“Public water systems must annually provide consumer confidence reports that summarize local drinking water quality information about the water’s sources, detected contaminants, and compliance with national primary drinking water regulations as well as information on the potential health effects of certain drinking water contaminants,” the GAO said as a summary.

Tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency while the bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Each group holds a different set of requirements for water.

The GAO pointed out that the FDA regulates DEHP – an organic compound widely used in the manufacture of polyvinyl chloride plastics – in tap water, while it does not regulate the compound in bottled water.

“Specifically, FDA deferred action on DEHP in a final rule published in 1996, and has yet to either adopt a standard or publish a reason for not doing so, even though FDA’s statutory deadline for acting on DEHP was more than 15 years ago,” the GAO said.

The EPA requires public notification about any contamination of tap water while the FDA does not. The EPA requires certified labs be used to test tap water, while there are no such requirements for bottled water.

FDA’s regulation of bottled water (including its implementation and enforcement), particularly when compared with EPA’s regulation of tap water, reveals key differences in the agencies’ statutory authorities.

Hence, while agreeing bottled water may be safer in areas where tap water may be contaminated, the research stated boiled or filtered tap water is still a better option for people on a lower income.