Myths and Facts

01

It’s not healthy to drink mineral water every day. It causes an 'overload' of the body and needs to be alternated.
That is factually incorrect. The truth is that mineral waters contain only milligram amounts of minerals per liter, but these are essential for the body. If we eat a bowl of soup or a roll with salami, we consume far more minerals—especially salt, i.e., sodium chloride—in a highly undesirable and unhealthy form.
On the other hand, soil depletion, food preparation methods such as boiling and frying, stress, and fatty foods all contribute to a deficiency of minerals in the human diet or poor absorption of minerals in the body. Mineral water is the most natural way to replenish these minerals.
During sports, or under intense mental and physical exertion, mineral waters are even a necessity and are legally required in some workplaces.
Mineral waters commonly available on the Czech market usually fall into the category known as medium-mineralized mineral waters. These can be consumed daily without concern. Medicinal mineral waters are a special category that do not qualify as food and are sold primarily in pharmacies.

Harmful substances are released into mineral water from PET bottles.
PET is a health-safe material intended for food packaging and meets the latest EU regulations for plastics, which include strict testing requirements. Each PET bottle has its own "birth certificate" proving its safety and inertness—unlike various types of piping systems of different quality and age used for distributing tap water. PET packaging is completely safe. A commonly cited argument about the release of phthalates from PET bottles when water is exposed to heat is a myth, as PET does not contain phthalates. These are used as plasticizers in other types of plastics. PET is an ideal packaging material due to its light weight, ease of handling, and 100% recyclability

Tap water is fresher.
This myth mainly exists because water coming directly from the tap is very cold, which creates an apparent feeling of freshness. However, the opposite is true. The vastness of water supply systems—especially in large urban areas—extends the transportation time of water. This usually affects the quality of treated water and increases the risk of contamination with organic substances. Likewise, during certain times of the day when water consumption is lower, water accumulates in risers and pipelines, so when you come home, for example after work, it is necessary to let the water run for a while. Together with various chemicals, freshness cannot be claimed. Although chlorine kills potential microbes in the water, their dead bodies remain there.

Bottled water is not environmentally friendly.
Mattoni 1873 packages water in 100% recyclable bottles and supports the waste collection and sorting system. Recycled PET bottles, thanks to their full recyclability, are used as raw material for the production of many other products—such as jackets, sleeping bags, carpets, etc. Rather than being treated as waste, they should be seen as a resource and properly sorted. In contrast, tap water producers use tons of chemicals in the treatment and production process. Treated and chlorinated water often leaks into the surrounding environment through cracked pipes, and only about 1% of the treated water is actually consumed. This results in massive waste—expensively treated and disinfected water is, for example, used to flush toilets. According to a study by the environmental association Arnika, some water companies in the Czech Republic rank among the top 10 biggest polluters of the environment.

Filters improve the quality of tap water.
Filtration and distillation devices may improve the taste of water, but they do not remove substances such as nitrates or bacteria. In fact, poorly maintained filters can become a breeding ground for even more bacteria. Drinking distilled water is a direct health risk. While it may provide the body with fluids, it certainly does not supply the vital minerals that are essential for the body to function properly. Such water is not suitable for human consumption and is absolutely inappropriate for preparing infant formula.

Tap water is completely safe because it has passed through a treatment plant and waterworks.
Unfortunately, most water treatment plants—despite complex chemical processing—are still unable to remove undesirable substances that have entered the water due to human activity. This broad group of substances, commonly referred to by the English abbreviation PCP (Pharmaceutical and Chemical Products) after their primary sources, includes mainly hormones, specifically endocrine disruptors, and residues of pharmaceuticals, such as hormonal drugs (e.g. contraceptives) for humans and animals, as well as pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. The danger of such substances lies in the fact that they occur in water in extremely small quantities, yet can still have long-term negative effects on both the environment and human health.