Mineral or Tap Water?
Recently, more and more people, not only in Switzerland, have been asking this question, so we want to explore it further. Swiss people drink about 900 million liters of mineral water annually. However, recent tests have shown that mineral water is not necessarily healthier or richer in minerals than tap water.
But before continuing the discussion, it is important to specify which tap water and which mineral water we are talking about. Not all mineral water is the same; there are many varieties with different compositions.
In Switzerland, tap water is healthy as it is the most controlled and monitored food product. Water suppliers such as EWL (Energie Wasser Luzern) and EWB (Energie Wasser Bern) regularly publish their water analyses, which are accessible to everyone.
What Minerals and Substances are in Tap Water?
Swiss tap water, which consists of groundwater, lake, and spring water, contains the following on average per liter:
- Calcium: 41 - 96 mg/l
- Sodium: 1.7 - 7.6 mg/l
- Potassium: 1.0 - 2.6 mg/l
- Magnesium: 3.7 - 8.9 mg/l
- Nitrate: 3.6 - 9.0 mg/l
- Nitrite: less than 0.005 mg/l
- Sulfate: 9.1 - 11.2 mg/l
- Ortho-phosphate: 0.002 - 0.003 mg/l
- Chloride: 1.1 - 8.6 mg/l
- Bicarbonate: 126 - 326 mg/l
- Ammonium: less than 0.03 mg/l
An adult cannot meet their daily mineral needs by drinking water alone. However, for people who need to follow a low-phosphate and low-potassium diet due to kidney disease, this information is important. The analysis values also indicate whether pesticides or fertilizers have entered the drinking water. With appropriate water test kits, anyone can determine the values of interest to them.
Is Tap Water Dangerous?
Although Swiss tap water is of very high quality, dangers often lurk in the last few meters. The water suppliers guarantee high-quality drinking water only up to the house connection. They have no control over what happens after that. It has been found that about every sixth water sample from the tap showed a concentration of heavy metals above the permissible limits.
The reason can be old, contaminated water pipes and fixtures that release heavy metals such as manganese, lead, copper, iron, zinc, and nickel into the drinking water due to corrosion, posing risks to consumers.
If you want to be sure that the drinking water coming from your tap is truly healthy, you should buy a water test kit to check its quality.
Mineral Water or Tap Water, Why Choose Tap Water?
- Price: A liter of mineral water in Switzerland generally costs between 20 and 90 cents, while the same amount of tap water costs only 0.2 cents. That's 100 to 500 times cheaper. If a family of four switches from mineral water to tap water, they can save between 440 and 2,000 francs per year, which can be used for other purchases.
- Eco-balance: Ordinary tap water is at least as good as mineral water, but its eco-balance is 1,000 times better. This means no bottle transport across the country and no high water consumption for extensive bottle washing.
- Health: Tap water often contains more minerals than mineral water but fewer unhealthy residues found in bottles.
- Convenience: Drinking tap water means you don't have to carry heavy crates of bottled water home and into the apartment. Nothing is more convenient than tap water.
- Environment: A lot of fossil fuels are consumed to produce plastic bottles. The transport of mineral water often covers hundreds of kilometers, consuming additional energy.
- Swiss Tap Water is a Natural Product just like mineral water.
- Carbonated Water: Those who prefer sparkling water can get a water carbonator for their tap water. However, you must ensure that it is not contaminated.
- Tap Water is as Lead-Free as Mineral Water: Lead pipes have long been removed from use. This is an old myth often cited for mineral water.
Why Choose Mineral Water?
Basically, only for the taste. Some people simply prefer the taste of a particular type of mineral water. However, this only applies to a specific type, as each natural mineral water is unique.
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