What is bottled water?

Water is classified as "bottled water" or "drinking water" if it meets all applicable federal and state standards, is sealed in a sanitary container and is sold for human consumption. Bottled water cannot contain sweeteners or chemical additives (other than flavors, extracts or essences) and must be calorie-free and sugar-free. Flavors, extracts and essences -- derived from spice or fruit -- can be added to bottled water, but these additions must comprise less than one percent by weight of the final product. Beverages containing more than the one-percent-by-weight flavor limit are classified as soft drinks, not bottled water. In addition, bottled water may be sodium-free or contain "very low" amounts of sodium. Some bottled waters contain natural or added carbonation.

What are the different types of bottled water?

There are several different varieties of bottled water. The product may be labeled as bottled water, drinking water or any of the following terms. The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) product definitions for bottled water are:

Artesian Water\Artesian Well Water: Bottled water from a well that taps a confined aquifer (a water-bearing underground layer of rock or sand) in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer.

Drinking Water: Drinking water is another name for bottled water. Accordingly, drinking water is water that is sold for human consumption in sanitary containers and contains no added sweeteners or chemical additives (other than flavors, extracts or essences). It must be calorie-free and sugar-free. Flavors, extracts or essences may be added to drinking water, but they must comprise less than one-percent-by-weight of the final product or the product will be considered a soft drink. Drinking water may be sodium-free or contain very low amounts of sodium.

Mineral Water: Bottled water containing not less than 250 parts per million total dissolved solids may be labeled as mineral water. Mineral water is distinguished from other types of bottled water by its constant level and relative proportions of mineral and trace elements at the point of emergence from the source. No minerals can be added to this product.

Purified Water: Water that has been produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or other suitable processes and that meets the definition of purified water in the United States Pharmacopoeia may be labeled as purified bottled water. Other suitable product names for bottled water treated by one of the above processes may include "distilled water" if it is produced by distillation, "deionized water" if the water is produced by deionization, or "reverse osmosis water" if the process used is reverse osmosis. Alternatively "_____________ drinking water" can be used with the blank being filled in with one of the terms defined in this paragraph (e.g. "purified drinking water" or "distilled drinking water").

Sparkling Water: Water that after treatment and possible replacement with carbon dioxide contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had at emergence from the source. (An important note: soda water, seltzer water and tonic water are not considered bottled waters. They are regulated separately, may contain sugar and calories, and are considered soft drinks.)

Spring Water: Bottled water derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth. Spring water must be collected only at the spring or through a bore hole tapping the underground formation finding the spring. Spring water collected with the use of an external force must be from the same underground stratum as the spring and must have all the physical properties, before treatment, and be of the same composition and quality as the water that flows naturally to the surface of the earth.

Well Water: Bottled water from a hole bored, drilled or otherwise constructed in the ground which taps the water of an aquifer.

How do I know my bottled water is safe?

Consumers can trust that bottled water is safe for many reasons. The first is that bottled water is strictly regulated on the federal level by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and on the state level by state officials. This ensures that all bottled water sold in the United States meets these stringent standards.

How is bottled water different from tap water?

Consistent quality and taste are two of the principle differences between bottled water and tap water.

Quality is in every container of bottled water. It's consistent and it is inspected and monitored by governmental and private laboratories. Unfortunately, tap water can be inconsistent -- sometimes it might be okay while other times it is not. While bottled water originates from protected sources (75% from underground aquifers and springs), tap water comes mostly from river sand lakes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reported that hundreds of tap water sources have failed to meet minimum standards. Another factor to consider is the distance tap water has to travel and what it goes through before it reaches the tap.

Taste is the other major reason people prefer bottled water versus tap water. Chlorine is most often used to disinfect tap water. That can leave an aftertaste and lead to other problems. Some bottlers use ozone, a form of supercharged oxygen, and/or ultraviolet light as the final disinfecting agents, both of which leave no taste or chemical trace.

I've read about Cryptosporidium being found in tap water. What is it?

Cryptosporidium is a waterborne parasite that lives in animals and can be passed into the water through their waste. Cryptosporidium oocysts from animal wastes have been found in rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs and many other types of surface water.

How do I know that Cryptosporidium is not in my bottled water?

For starters, bottled water companies are required to use approved sources.

There are two types of sources from which bottled water can be drawn: the first type is natural sources (i.e. springs and wells). By law, these sources must be protected from surface intrusion and other environmental influences. This requirement ensures that surface water contaminants such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia are not present.

The second source water type is approved potable municipal supplies. Bottled water companies that use these sources reprocess this water using methods such as distillation, reverse osmosis, deionization and filtration. This ensures that the finished product is very different -- in composition and taste -- from the original source water.

Is bottled water regulated?

The bottled water industry is regulated on three levels: federal, state and trade association.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, coupled with state and industry standards, offer consumers assurance that the bottled water they purchase is stringently regulated, tested and of the highest quality.

FEDERAL REGULATIONS:

Bottled water is regulated as a food product by the FDA. Bottled water companies must adhere to the FDA's Quality Standards, Standards of Identity (Labeling Regulations) and Good Manufacturing Practices.

Quality Standards: All bottled water products must comply with the FDA's Quality Standards in Section 165.110(b) of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). These standards, along with the FDA's Good Manufacturing Practices, ensure the safety of all bottled water products from production to packaging to consumption.

Standards of Identity (Labeling Regulations): FDA's labeling rules for bottled water establish standards of identity and standardized definitions for terms found on bottled water labels such as "artesian," "distilled," "drinking," "mineral," "purified," "sparkling" and "spring" Seltzer, soda water and tonic water are considered soft drinks; therefore, they are excluded from these regulations.

Good Manufacturing Practices: Bottled water is subject to both general food Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and GMPs specific to bottled water processing and bottling. General food GMPs govern such areas as plant and ground maintenance, sanitary maintenance of buildings and fixtures, and sanitary facilities, including water supply, plumbing and sewage disposal. Bottled water GMPs provide detailed regulations governing plant construction and design, sanitary facilities and operations, equipment design and construction, production and process controls specific to the production and processing of bottled drinking water, and record keeping.

STATE STANDARDS:

In addition to FDA's extensive regulatory requirements, the bottled water industry is subject to state regulatory requirements as well.

Inspections: A significant responsibility of the states is inspecting, sampling, analyzing and approving sources of water. Under the federal GMPs, only approved sources of water can be used to supply a bottling plant.

Laboratory Certification: Another area in which some states have important responsibilities that complement federal regulation is the certification of testing laboratories. As with any food establishment, the states perform unannounced plant inspections, and some states perform annual inspections.

Do imported waters have to meet the same federal, state and industry regulations as bottled water?

Yes. Any bottled water sold in the United States must meet all of the same regulations as domestically produced bottled water.

Is bottled water regulated differently from tap water?

Yes. Bottled water is regulated by FDA as a food product and must meet all applicable food packaging regulations. Tap water is regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is regarded as a utility.

Does bottled water contain any harmful chemicals that can pose a threat to human health?

No.

How long can I store bottled water?

The Food and Drug Administration has not established a shelf life for bottled water. Bottled water can be used indefinitely if stored properly.

What is the proper way to store bottled water?

Bottled water should be stored in a cool (i.e. room temperature), dry environment away from chemicals such as household cleaning products and away from solvents such as gasoline, paint thinners and other toxic materials.