Water! Water! What's in Our Water?

Overview

Objectives/Goals I decided to investigate bottled water such as: purified water, well water, spring water, and artesian water. I then tested it against our tap water and water from our local creek. I tested each water sample for six (6) primary contaminants (known to be dangerous to our health): bacteria, chlorine, lead, nitrates/nitrites, and pesticides, and two (2) secondary contaminants (which affect taste and appearance, and may or may not be dangerous to our health): hardness and pH. I then compared the results to our tap water in San Mateo, California. I also tested the San Mateo Creek water as a control sample to show that the tests were working. To determine whether each bottled water was safe to drink, my results were compared to the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) guideline standards for maximum allowed contaminant levels. Bottled water has become part of our daily life. In the past, we would go to the drinking fountain at school or run into the house and get a drink from the faucet. Today, we often carry water bottles everywhere we go. I personally like the convenience of water bottles, but I started to wonder about whether drinking bottled water is more dangerous to our health than drinking our tap water. Overall, because of the differences in the secondary contaminant tests, Dasani ranked the best, and the San Mateo tap water ranked the second best in total score. Due to the fact that we do not know whether the hardness or pH in bottled water affects our health, my recommendation is to stick with tap water or buy Dasani bottled water.

Competition history

• CSEF 2005 Environmental Science (Junior Division Only) · Entry J0933

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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