Tapping Into The Benefits Of Tap Water (NAPSA)—Here are some interesting facts about water that you may wantto drink in: The Earth is actually covered by more water than land. How- ever, nearly 97 percent of that water is salt water, which is not suitable for drinking. Another 2 percentresides in ice caps and glaciers, leaving just 1 percent to accommodate human need—including agricultural, manufacturing and residential uses, such as drinking water, showering, washing clothes and watering the lawn. Did you know the averagetotal home water usage for each person in the U.S. is about 50 gallons of water per day? Did you also know that the average cost for water supplied to a homein the U.S. is less than a pennypergallon? When you consider that, in the United States, water utilities monitor for more than 100 contaminants and must meetclose to 90 regulations for water quality and reliability, one wonders how such a valuable resource can be so reasonably priced. According to the experts at American Water, tap wateris collected, treated and distributed in accordance withall of these regulations, meeting and often exceeding all EPA drinking water standards. Now compare the cost of bottled water to tap water. The beverage industry estimated that in 2005, Americansspent over $9 bil- lion on bottled water. At $1.50 for a 20-ounce bottle of water, con- 2 i "ow — ™., >. Tap wateris a healthy, clean, reli- able source of drinking water and is available for less than 1 cent per gallon. So drink up! sumers could get nearly 1,000 servings—150 gallons—of tap water! Now consider the cost of other expenditures that are less vital to human survival. In 2004, the average consumer spent more than $750 a year on beverages such as soda, coffee and other sports drinks, not to mention more than $2,500 on food away from home—and those numbers likely increased during the past year. Other utilities, such aselectric, gas and cable, command an average annual expense of $1,100, $1,600 and $500, respectively. All things considered, penny for penny, tap water maystill be the best value you can find. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.amwater.com.
