Many people often prefer mineral water rather than tapped water, boiled water or any other type of drinking water. There is often the misconception that mineral water is safer in terms of hygienic standards. How true is this? In as much as bottled water has many pros, it has a number of cons as well. These limitations have effects on the environment as well as the health of an individual. The hazards arise from the large number of plastics manufactured in order to package the mineral water, which is detrimental to both the consumer and the surroundings. Bottled water poses a number of hazards to the environment and the end user.

How does bottled water affect the environment? Due to the sheer number of plastic bottles being manufactured annually, the energy required to manufacture and transport these bottles to the market severely drains fossil fuels. The production of plastics is usually unregulated and therefore causing strain to the environment. Also, plastic is non-biodegradable and therefore it is not advisable to dispose plastics. It has been proposed that plastics should be washed and reused or recycled in the production of bottles for mineral water. This compromises the quality of the water due to the fact that phthalate leaches its way into the water as the bottle gets older. Phthalate is a harmful chemical used in the production of plastics that is known to contaminate contents of a product packaged in plastic; if it has been recycled a number of times. This chemical has been known to cause damage to the liver and kidneys. We are also not sure about the hygienic standards of the bottled water. This is because most of them are bottled at the source and therefore the water bodies are not enclosed hence cannot inhibit the public for using or tampering with the water, hence contamination of the water.

In a nutshell, bottled water is not the best option. It strains the environment as well as causes environmental pollution among other health hazards. The best alternative is tap water as it saves on resources since there is no need of packaging as well as reduces the hazards caused by bottled water. The Kenyan authorities should plan to provide safe drinking water for the citizens in order for them to develop trust in tap water. The reason why many people in the country do not consume tap water is because it is mostly not entirely treated and hence not safe enough for consumption. The government should therefore plan to come up with effective and functioning water treating plants in order to provide clean and safe water for Kenyans.