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Do Water Filters and Bottled Water Contain Less Contaminates Than Tap Water?  Which One is Better?
by Emily W.

Hypothesis  Abstract  Materials  Procedure  Results  Conclusion  Bibliography & Links

 

Hypothesis	Water filters and bottled water will contain less contaminates than tap water.  The water filter will rid the water of contaminates the best.
Abstract	I did my experiment on contaminates in tap water, filtered water, and in bottled water.  The title of my experiment is: Do Water Filters or Bottled Water contain less Contaminates Than Tap Water? Which one is Better?  I chose to do this experiment because I wanted to know how pure our water is, and if it is necessary to use water filters or to buy bottled water.  I thought that the Hinkley and Schmitt bottled water and  the Brita water filtered water would contain less contaminates than the tap water, and that the water that was filtered would contain least amount of conataiminates.        To do this experiment, I first collected water from four different water sources: the tap, the tap going in to the water filter, the filtered water, and the Hinkley and Schmitt bottled water.  I put the water in to sterile specimen cups, and put them in to the refrigerator until I was ready to culture and test them.  I then used sterile curettes to dip them in to the cups and on to the petri dishes, for each of the water samples.  I left the petri dishes under an incubator overnight.  Using the rest of the water in the specimen cups,  I used the clinitest strips to test them for other contaminates.        The results of my experiment are that the tap water grew normal staphylococcus.  The tap going in to the water filter grew nothing, and the filtered water also grew nothing.  The Hinkley and Schmitt bottled water grew several colonies of staphylococcus and  three colonies of  gram negative E. coli.  My hypothesis was proven incorrect, because the bottled water contained the most contaminates, was not better than the tap water.  If I was to do this experiment again I would want to use more water samples.
Materials	4 sterile specimen cups 4 sterile curettes 60 mL of water from: tap, tap going in to the filter, Brita water filter, and Hinkley and Schmitt bottled   water 4 petri dishes Incubator Microscope Clinitest strips
Procedure	Sterilely collect water from your tap, the tap going in to the filter, Brita water filter, and Hinkley and Schmitt bottled water. Sterilely put the water in the sterile specimen cups. Refrigerate water until ready to culture and test it.  From each water source, dip the sterile curettes in the specimen cups. Spread the water from each curette on the petri dishes. Put the petri dishes in an incubator for about 24 hours. After 24 hours, observe the petri dishes for growth of microorganisms. Using the rest of the water in the specimen cups, test the water for other contaminates using the clinitest strips.  Observe what color the strips change. Record all results.
Results	The Tap water grew normal staphylococcus, and tested negative for other contaminates.  The other tap water that was going in to filter grew no bacteria, and tested negative for other contaminates.  Brita water filtered water grew nothing, and tested negative for other contaminates.  The Hinkley and Schmitt bottled water grew several colonies of staphylococcus and three colonies of gram negative E.coli, but tested negative for other contaminates.
Conclusion	The filtered water did contain less contaminates than the tap water, but the bottled water contained the most contaminates.  My hypothesis was, therefore, proven incorrect.
Bibliography & Links	LSmith, F.C. First Book of Water. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1959 Gardner, Robert.  Water. New York: Julian Messner, 1982. Walker, Sally M. Water Up, Water Down. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, Inc., 1992. Cole, Joanna.  The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks. New York: Scholastic Inc., 1986. Gutnik, Martin J. Ecology. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., 1984. "Do You Need a Water Filter?" Consumer Reports.  July, 1992, page 27-31.

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                              Bottled Water- Staphylococcus                  Testing the water with clinitest strips
                                        and E.coli   
 
 Emily W.
Timber Ridge Magnet School