Colorado Springs Utilities encouraging residents to use tap water

When it comes to water bottled versus tap water, most prefer bottled thinking it is healthier than water from the tap. Colorado Springs Utilities is trying to change that mindset.

It’s part of their new initiative to get more people to drink tap water. For both tap and bottled water, safety regulations are pretty much the same. What it boils down to is where the water comes from. According to multiple sources, companies that sell bottled water do not have to disclose where their water comes from, how it’s treated and what contaminants are inside.

However, for tap water companies must follow strict federal and state regulations. CSP spokesperson Natalie Eckhart says 70 percent of the water that goes to residents in Colorado Springs comes straight from the snow melt on the Rocky Mountains. The water is also called first use, meaning that the water from the snow comes straight to the facilities, is treated and then sent right out to people in the Springs, before it flows down to 200 other cities before ending at the Gulf of Mexico.