Bottled Water versus Public Water Sales of bottled water in this country have exploded in recent years, largely as a result of a public perception of purity driven by advertisements and packaging labels featuring pristine glaciers and crystal-clear mountain springs. But bottled water sold in the United States is not necessarily cleaner or safer than most tap water, according to a four-year scientific study recently made public by NRDC. NRDC's study included testing of more than 1,000 bottles of 103 brands of bottled water. While most of the tested waters were found to be of high quality, some brands were contaminated: about one-third of the waters tested contained levels of contamination -- including synthetic organic chemicals, bacteria, and arsenic -- in at least one sample that exceeded allowable limits under either state or bottled water industry standards or guidelines. A key NRDC finding is that bottled water regulations are inadequate to assure consumers of either purity or safety, although both the federal government and the states have bottled water safety programs. At the national level, the Food and Drug Administration is responsible for bottled water safety, but the FDA's rules completely exempt waters that are packaged and sold within the same state, which account for between 60 and 70 percent of all bottled water sold in the United States (roughly one out of five states don't regulate these waters either). The FDA also exempts carbonated water and seltzer, and fewer than half of the states require carbonated waters to meet their own bottled water standards. Even when bottled waters are covered by the FDA's rules, they are subject to less rigorous testing and purity standards than those which apply to city tap water (see chart below). For example, bottled water is required to be tested less frequently than city tap water for bacteria and chemical contaminants. In addition, bottled water rules allow for some contamination by E. coli or fecal coliform (which indicate possible contamination with fecal matter), contrary to tap water rules, which prohibit any confirmed contamination with these bacteria. Similarly, there are no requirements for bottled water to be disinfected or tested for parasites such as cryptosporidium or giardia, unlike the rules for big city tap water systems that use surface water sources. This leaves open the possibility that some bottled water may present a health threat to people with weakened immune systems, such as the frail elderly, some infants, transplant or cancer patients, or people with HIV/AIDS. Some Key Differences Between EPA Tap Water and FDA Bottled Water Rules Water Type Disinfection Required? Confirmed E. Coli & Fecal Coliform Banned? Testing Frequency for Bacteria Must Filter to Remove Pathogens, or Have Strictly Protected Source? Must Test for Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Viruses? Testing Frequency for Most Synthetic Organic Chemicals Bottled Water No No 1/week No No 1/year Carbonated or Seltzer Water No No None No No None Big City Tap Water (using surface water) Yes Yes Hundreds/ month Yes Yes 1/quarter (limited waivers available if clean source) See Table 1 of NRDC's bottled water report for further comparisons and explanations. Ironically, public concern about tap water quality is at least partly responsible for the growth in bottled water sales, which have tripled in the past 10 years. This bonanza is also fueled by marketing designed to convince the public of bottled water's purity and safety, marketing so successful that people spend from 240 to over 10,000 times more per gallon for bottled water than they typically do for tap water. In fact, about one-fourth of bottled water is actually bottled tap water, according to government and industry estimates (some estimates go as high as 40 percent). And FDA rules allow bottlers to call their product "spring water" even though it may be brought to the surface using a pumped well, and it may be treated with chemicals. But the actual source of water is not always made clear -- some bottled water marketing is misleading, implying the water comes from pristine sources when it does not. In 1995, the FDA issued labeling rules to prevent misleading claims, but while the rules do prohibit some of the most deceptive labeling practices, they have not eliminated the problem. Some examples of interesting labels NRDC observed include: "Spring Water" (with a picture of a lake surrounded by mountains on the label) -- Was actually from an industrial parking lot next to a hazardous waste site. Alasika™ -- "Alaska Premium Glacier Drinking Water: Pure Glacier Water From the Last Unpolluted Frontier, Bacteria Free" -- Apparently came from a public water supply. This label has since been changed after FDA intervention. Vals Water -- "Known to Generations in France for its Purity and Agreeable Contribution to Health . . . Reputed to Help Restore Energy, Vitality, and Combat Fatigue" -- The International Bottled Water Association voluntary code prohibits health claims, but some bottlers still make such claims. Ultimately, while Americans who choose to buy bottled water deserve the assurance that it is safe, the long-term solution to our drinking water problems is to ensure that safe, clean, good-tasting drinking water comes from our taps. The Bottom Line: Conclusions NRDC conducted a four-year review of the bottled water industry and the safety standards that govern it, including a comparison of national bottled water rules with national tap water rules, and independent testing of over 1,000 bottles of water. Their conclusion is that there is no assurance that just because water comes out of a bottle it is any cleaner or safer than water from the tap. And in fact, an estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle -- sometimes further treated, sometimes not. If you want the safest, cleanest, best tasting water; EHSO's recommendation is install a good water filter on your tap!  (We like the PUR series) Bottled Waters to Watch and Those Testing Clean SELECTED WATERS TO WATCH Water, State of Purchase & Comments WATERS TESTING CLEAN Water, State of Purchase & Comments Alhambra Mountain Spring Water (CA) Heterotrophic-plate-count bacteria in some bottles over 500 colony forming units/milliliter (cfu/ml) guideline Deer Park (DC, NY) No contaminants of concern found in four tests Appollinaris (CA) Arsenic above California warning level Naya (CA, NY) No contaminants of concern found in four tests Black Mountain Fluoridated Water (CA) Heterotrophic-plate-count bacteria over 500 cfu/ml guideline in some bottles; fluoride levels exceed FDA and California standards for warm weather areas Rocky Mountain Drinking Water (CA) No contaminants of concern found in two tests Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water (CA) Arsenic in excess of California warning level and World Health Organization and European Union standards San Pelligrino (CA) No contaminants of concern found in two tests Lady Lee Drinking Water (CA) Trihalomethanes in excess of California and industry standards Vons Drinking Water (CA) No contaminants of concern found in two tests Lucky Seltzer Water (CA) Trihalomethanes in excess of California standards (and over industry standards, which don’t apply to seltzer) Vons Natural Spring Water (CA) No contaminants of concern found in two tests Master Choice (NY) Heterotrophic-plate-count bacteria over 500 cfu/ml in some bottles   Odwalla Geothermal Natural Spring Water (CA) Fluoride level in excess of California and FDA standard for warm weather areas   Poland Spring (DC) Heterotrophic-plate-count bacteria over 500 cfu/ml guideline in some bottles; 1996 excess chlorine recall   Private Selection Drinking & Purified Waters (CA) Trihalomethane levels above California and industry standards   Publix Drinking Water (FL) Trihalomethanes above industry standard   Safeway Drinking Water & Purified Water & Club Soda & Select Seltzer & Spring Water (all CA) Trihalomethanes above California and industry standards   Vittel Mineral Water (CA) Arsenic in excess of California, World Health Organization, and European Union standards   Volvic Natural Spring Water (CA) Arsenic in excess of California, World Health Organization, and European Union standards   Bottled Water Types 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 and 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. Shelf Life of Bottled Water How long is a bottle of water good if it remains sealed?    In the United States bottled water's shelf life is date stamped for two years. It should be stored in a dark, cool, dry area away from any solvents or chemicals. I have tasted a bottle of Mountain Valley that was bottled several decades ago and the seal (in this case a metal cap) was still intact. The water was excellent, and except for some mineral crystals at the bottom on the glass, was identical to a fresh bottle of Mountain Valley. Plastic Taste in Bottled Water Do plastic bottles cause a taste in bottled water? Certain lower grade plastics such as HDPE (high-density polyethylene), which is used in the milk industry, can give a plastic taste to water. Many water bottlers have switched to high-grade, (and more expensive) PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which does not pass on any plastic taste to water. [Home]