Many consumers feel that bottled water is safer than tap water.  This is generally not true. In fact, a recent study revealed that 25 percent of all bottled water is simply tap water that has been placed in a bottle and sold at a price 250 to 10,000 times higher than tap water.  For example, a typical price for a one-gallon jug of bottled water ranges from $0.99 to $4 compared to $0.0025 for a gallon of MEWS tap water.  The quality of bottled water can also vary greatly depending on its source, production process, packaging material, and shelf life before use.  Until 1993, there were no proposed federal standards for bottled water; in many states it was unregulated.  The 1996 SDWA amendments require bottled water to meet many of the same regulations as tap water for the first time.