Despite the recent bad press dedicated to pharmaceuticals found in the U.S. water supply, Mark DiMassimo and Eric Yaverbaum are still making a case for drinking tap water. The men launched the Tappening campaign to educate consumers about the impact bottled water is having on the environment and why tap water should be the first choice for drinking water. Their big issue is that often times bottled water still comes from a tap; the only difference is, it is packaged in plastic and sold for profit, but still no safer than walking over to your kitchen sink for a drink.

They point out several reasons for sticking to tap water including the chlorination contained in it that kills bacteria, the guidelines that require tap water be tested for water pathogens (bottled water companies are not required to do this) and oh yeah, it's free too! Besides more than 22 million plastic water bottles that make their way into landfills, other reasons given for avoiding bottled water include the emissions required to ship bottled water worldwide and the high cost. Consumers can save as much as $1,400 each year by getting the recommended eight glasses of water per day from the tap instead of bottles, not to mention the cost of recovering the bottles from landfills.

Some of the opinions on the site are a little far-fetched (suggesting water bottle users join smokers outside seems a little extreme), but the message is strong: tap water in reusable bottles is still the most eco-friendly way to get your daily H20. In fact, you can order reusable bottles directly from the site that also carry the earth-friendly message "Think global. Drink local."

Learn more about the great tap water versus bottled water debate on the official Tappening website by hitting the jump and watch the clip below for more facts and some cool magic.

» Tappening (Official Site)