Access to safe, reliable drinking water is one of the most important public health protections in the United States—and it’s more closely monitored than many people realize. Yet despite strict federal regulations, bottled water consumption continues to rise dramatically, driven largely by public perception rather than science.
In the December 2025 issue of AWWA’s Opflow, Sambatek’s own Naeem Qureshi, Client Service Manager, and Emily Strand, Project Engineer, break down some of the most common bottled-water misconceptions and explain why tap water remains one of the safest, most rigorously regulated options available.
Click here to read the full article.
Their article explores:
- How U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations govern 94 contaminants in drinking water
- Why bottled water is often no cleaner—and sometimes less transparent—than municipal tap water
- The true environmental and public-health impacts of plastic bottle production
- How water utilities can strengthen public trust through better communication, storytelling, and community engagement
From high-profile crises in Flint and Jackson to misconceptions about taste and purity, Naeem and Emily demonstrate that bottled water is not always the safer choice consumers believe it to be. In fact, tap water is thousands of times more affordable and held to standards that bottled water companies don’t always exceed.
Their message is clear: utilities have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to help communities understand the value, safety, and reliability of their tap water.