The University of Tsukuba CE Science and Maths C1 - Week 4

Hello everyone,

It's a rainy day today. I hope you didn't lose your umbrella - like I did.

As you know, last week we didn't have time to watch the video The Story of Bottled Water, so let's watch it today Please download the annotated script for this video too.

Watch the video and read the annotated script then download the worksheet here: Bottled Water vs. Tap Water.


There are 5 questions on the worksheet. Let's do the first one together.

Question

1. According to the Story of Bottled Water, "Municipal water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which does frequent testing, as do local authorities." However, according to How Safe is Your Water?, "...there are no requirements for daily, or even weekly, tests for chemicals, lead or pesticides." Do you think water safety should be more regulated in the United States? Why? Why not?

Possible answers

1. Yes, I think water safety should be more regulated in the United States because if water safety were more regulated in the United States, people would not feel the need to buy bottled water. Bottled water is both expensive and wasteful (The Story of Water p. 1,2; par. 7). Also, even if you buy bottled water, you can not be sure it is safe. (How Safe is Your Water? p. 32; par. 6).
2. No, I don't think water safety should be more regulated in the United States because the water in the United States is already safe. According to The Story of Water:

The federal Safe Drinking Water Act empowers EPA to require water testing by certified laboratories and that violations be reported within a specified time frame. Public water systems must also provide reports to customers about their water, noting its source, evidence of contaminants and compliance with regulations. 

(P. 1; Footnote 3)

OK, use the examples to help you answer the questions.

See you next week.