Bottled Water Brands

Bottled Water Quality

A number of people, particularly in the US, opt to buy bottled water based on the popular perception that it is cleaner and safer to drink compared to tap water. Is it correct to assume this? Have you, as a consumer, taken time out to find out a bit of information on bottled water quality-its testing procedures and the standards it has to meet?

It's best to try to find out more for yourself before purchasing gallons and gallons of bottled drinking water for your home and family. The internet is a good way to glimpse information on bottled water quality and its testing and standards. Did you know that the bottled water industry earns approximately $4 billion in the US each year? Many are willing to pay so much more than just drink regular tap water.

As the NRDC or Natural Resources Defense Council (at http://www.nrdc.org/) informs consumers, that while bottled water has to comply with standards set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and does undergo testing, city tap water is actually subject to more rigorous testing and purity standards. Certain bottled water companies may take the initiative to conduct more extensive and frequent testing for the quality of their product, but as for required testing, bottled water only has to be tested once a week, while tap water can go for up to a hundred times per week.

In addition, the FDA requires that tap water be tested for E.coli, a virus called Crypto-sporidium (if water is found free of this it is declared 'still' water), and Pathogens, while it is not mandatory for bottled water to be tested for these.

The NRDC recommends that to ensure bottled water quality, the FDA should set strict, similar limits for testing of these contaminants in bottled water. Rules set by the FDA should be followed by all national and international distributors, and that bottled water companies be required to disclose water source, water treatment procedures, and other key information to its buyers.

So how can consumers check bottled water quality? The answer is to try to find out more about the bottled water company before buying. Individuals should not assume that just because the water is bottled, that it is purer and safer than tap water. Companies have different procedures and standards which they choose to follow. Check the bottle labels to see where the water is taken from and how it was treated. Or better yet, visit a store, or the company's website to find out more.