Many people are choosing to get their drinking water from the tap and not from bottles in light of environmental concerns.

Mary Lee Wakefield said she has also switched from using bottled water.

"All the plastic, all the accumulation of plastic -- people throw it away carelessly, they don't recycle it," Wakefield said.

Many people have stopped drinking bottled water, and say that the bottled water industry adds plastic to landfills, uses too much energy by producing and shipping bottles across the world and undermines confidence in the public water supply.

The Metropolitan District Commission provides 13 cities and towns with tap water and said water is under strict standards from the Environmental Protection Agency.

"We're committed to meeting the EPA and Department of Public Health standards, which require exhaustive testing and sampling, regular monitoring 24 hours a day," said Matt Nozzolio.

Nestle Waters, of Greenwich, the largest water brand in the country, said it's not battling against tap water, and that by law, the Food and Drug Administration regulations for bottled water must be as strong and protective as regulations for tap water.

"The truth is, bottled water has a relatively small impact on the environment in the broader scheme and more energy and attention should go into strengthening recycling programs that would keep a greater number of all plastic containers out of landfills," the company said in a written statement.

Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Irene O'Connor reported that many restaurants have been debating whether to remove bottled water from their menus. The owners of Max Downtown in Hartford said the restaurant is building its own filtering system for a new restaurant in Glastonbury.

When the Max Fish opens this November, restaurant owners said it will not serve bottled water.

While the bottled water companies said customers should always have a choice, Wakefield said she'll be turning on the tap at her home.

"I have a 15-year-old and I want him to inherit a better place, free from plastics that are thrown out in the road," she said.

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More Information

The True Cost of Bottled Water

Plastic Containers & Those Recycling Code Numbers

PDF: Statement From Nestle Waters