Environmental Working Group report on water is (typically) all wet

Yesterday also saw the release of another “study” by the influential radical advocacy organization Environmental Working Group (EWG). EWG studied the origins, precise chemical contents and the labels of 173 brands of bottled water and then rated them.

But what was the purpose of this? All of the water bottles contained...well, water. Some brands were somewhat more purified than others, and a few included flavorings of various sorts. Regardless, as ACSH’s Jody Manley observes, “Bottled water is heavily regulated and very safe. Many other environmentalists have been critical of bottled water as an alternative to tap water because the plastic bottles play a part in the growth of landfill.”

Maybe the concern with the relative merits of different brands of bottled water derives from other strange notions present in the minds of EWG’s leadership. A clue suggesting as much came last month when EWG issued another report showing that about 90 percent of a group of U.S. cities had hexavalent chromium in their water supplies. That claim drew heavy media attention. Yet closer examination revealed that the amounts of hexavalent chromium were measurable in parts per billion — harmless trace levels. Could it be that EWG is falling prey to its own myth-making?

ACSH's Dr. Gilbert Ross comments: “EWG is again trying to scare consumers about non-threats. It is not relevant where bottled water is from. And American tap water is perfectly safe.”