Bottled Water Basics
Outbreaks of gastro-intestinal illnesses traced to contaminated drinking water
supplies and reports of pesticides, heavy metals and other potentially
health-threatening contaminants in some municipal systems have raised concern
about the safety and quality of tap water. Increasingly, people see bottled water as an easy,
safe and better-tasting alternative. Since 1981, bottled water consumption in the
US jumped from 1.8% to almost 10%, and that figure is expected to double by the year
2000. Yet, what do people really know about bottled water, especially its quality?
Types of Bottled Water
First, "bottled water" or "drinking water" is water
sealed in sanitary containers that meets all applicable federal and state standards.
It cannot contain any chemical additives or sweeteners and must be calorie-free and
sugar-free. However, various kinds of bottled water are commercially available. A
quick look at the label tells you that bottled water may be drawn from either
municipal water supplies or from protected natural sources such as springs and wells.
According to the IBWA (International Bottled Water Association), about 75% of the
bottled water sold in the US comes from natural sources. The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) defines different types of bottled water on the basis of (1)
its water source and (2) its chemical composition at the time that it is drawn from
the source.
- Artesian Water/Artesian Well Water
is water drawn from a confined aquifer where water under pressure rises above the water table.
- Spring Water
can be collected only at the spring or from a bore hole adjacent to the spring that taps the aquifer feeding the spring. The properties of the water drawn from the bore hole must be the same as that of the water in the spring.
- Well Water
derives from a hole bored or drilled that taps the water of an aquifer. This water must be pumped to the surface.
- Purified Water
is produced through distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or some other water treatment process. This water originates as either tap water (i.e., from a municipal system) or groundwater. Depending upon the water treatment process used, other acceptable names include distilled water, purified drinking water, distilled drinking water and deionized water.
- Mineral Water
contains more than 250 ppm of total dissolved solids (FDA standard) which are present at the point of emergence from the source. No minerals can be added to this water nor can it be drawn from a municipal source. In Europe, any recognized spring water with minerals can be called mineral water.
- Sparkling Water
contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had when it was drawn from the source. Soda water, seltzer water and tonic are not considered bottled waters.
Who Regulates Bottled Water?
Bottled water is regulated at the federal and state levels and by industry to
ensure that it meets all applicable safe water standards. The FDA regulates bottled
water as a food product, and bottled water companies must comply with the FDA’s
Quality Standards (Section 165.110(b) of Title 21 of the Code of Federal
Regulations), labeling regulations, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
GMPs provide detailed regulations for plant construction and design, sanitary
facilities, operations, equipment design and construction, and production and
process control.
The greatest responsibility of the state is to inspect, sample, analyze and
approve water sources and the final product. In Michigan, rules on bottled water
are contained in the Michigan Food Law of 1968, as amended in 1993. Like the federal
legislation, Michigan law regulates the quality of bottled water as well as its
labeling. Because the FDA’s rules on bottled water were passed in 1996, it preempts
state regulations where state regulations are more stringent than federal
regulations. All Michigan water bottling companies must be registered and
licensed with the food section of the Food and Dairy Division of the Michigan
Department of Agriculture (MDA). Licenses are renewed annually.
Companies using private water sources must demonstrate that those sources comply
with the state’s drinking water standards and standards contained in the federal Safe
Drinking Water Act. Water must be tested annually either by a local health
department or by a registered water testing laboratory (Link to County RESOURCES?).
Water drawn from municipal supplies also must meet safe drinking water standards
and be tested annually. Annual inspections of bottling facilities are carried
out by an independent third party acceptable to the MDA to ensure compliance.
The state also regulates water dispensing machines. These must be registered
annually and located in facilities licensed and inspected by the Food and Dairy
Division. Federal and state regulations for bottled water apply to all bottled
water sold in the US including imports.
To some degree, the bottled water industry is also self-regulating. The
International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) whose 1,200 members produce
about 85% of the bottled water available on the market has developed regulations
to complement federal and state standards. These regulations are contained in
its Model Code and is enforced via annual but unannounced third party inspections
of members’ bottling facilities. For example, all IBWA members who use municipal
supplies are strongly encouraged to employ at least one of three processing methods
recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to remove microbial and chemical
contaminants: reverse osmosis, one micron absolute filtration, and/or distillation.
To ensure bottled water quality, IBWA companies employ one or a combination of the
following methods.
- Source protection/monitoring
- Reverse osmosis to remove dissolved minerals
- Ozonation which disinfects water using ozone gas rather than chlorine
- Micron filtration to remove microbial contaminants
- Distillation to remove chemical contaminants
- Testing of source water and finished product for organics, inorganics, microbial contaminants, turbidity and color
A complete listing of IBWA members can be found at the IBWA website
at http://www.bottledwater.org.
If you are interested in more information on bottled water, a number of
websites are available.
