Livermore, Calif., Nov. 27, 2007 -- In a new nationwide survey of adult women, filtered tap water is cited as the best alternative to bottled water, which is increasingly controversial for environmental reasons.

The survey showed 54 percent of women ranked filtered tap water as the best alternative. The survey was sponsored by Puronics, a California-based manufacturer of water conditioners. It had a margin of error of +/- 4.4 percent and was conducted in the CARAVAN^® telephone omnibus survey by Opinion Research Corporation.

“Bottled water consumption has skyrocketed, but people are beginning to understand the negative environmental impact from the production and distribution of those bottles,” said Scott Batiste, chairman and CEO of Puronics. “It's refreshing to see that more than half the women surveyed see a real alternative in filtered tap water. It tastes great and is calorie free, but without the waste of a plastic bottle.”

According to the Earth Policy Institute, it took 1.5-million barrels of oil to produce the plastic containers for the 8-billion gallons of bottled water consumed in the

U.S. during 2006. That's enough oil to power 100,000 cars for a year.

The Puronics survey showed that filtered tap water was the heavily favored alternative at 54 percent. Unfiltered tap water was the second best alternative (18 percent), followed by sports drinks/vitamin water (13 percent), juice (4 percent) and soda (4 percent).

Getting great-tasting water straight from the tap can be an issue for some consumers because of local water quality. That's where a whole-house approach to water conditioning and filtration can make a difference. “With a whole-house approach, a family installs a water treatment system for the cleaning, laundry, skin and hair benefits, plus great water for drinking and cooking,” Batiste said. “This offers a broader range of benefits compared to bottled water, and in the long run is less expensive.”

Puronics makes the only stainless steel water conditioner that uses NASA technology to inhibit bacteria growth in the filter. Puronics products are NSF certified.

Puronics, Incorporated, headquartered in Livermore, Calif., is a water technology company with a diversified manufacturing and financial services operation. It is focused on solving the world's water problems for consumers and businesses. For more information, visit www.puronics.com or call 1-800-339-8780 for the nearest dealer.