In the U.S., bottled water and tap water are regulated by two different agen- cies; the FDA regulates bottled water and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates tap water (also referred to as municipal water or public drinking water).
Sterilized water is free from all microbes. Note: Carbonated water, soda water, seltzer water, sparkling water, and tonic water are considered soft drinks and are not regulated as bottled water.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates bottled water products, working to ensure that they're safe to drink. The FDA protects consumers of bottled water through the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which makes manufacturers responsible for producing safe, wholesome, and truthfully labeled food products.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies bottled water as a packaged food product and is responsible for its regulation. Tap water, however, is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
DASANI meets all FDA Bottled Water Regulations Standards of Quality. View the water quality report here.
Choosing safe bottled water is essential for health, as the top brands meet FDA safety standards, ensuring purity and contaminant-free options. Mountain Valley, Voss, Acqua Panna, Gerolsteiner, and Perrier are some of the best, each offering unique benefits like rich minerals, smooth tastes, and eco-friendly packaging.
FDA has issued comprehensive bottled water Standards of Identity, which provide uniform requirements and definitions for the following bottled water classifications: drinking, artesian, groundwater, distilled, deionized, reverse osmosis, mineral, purified, sparkling, spring, and well water (21 C.F.R.
FDA does not approve bottled water firms or bottled water products. However, some states may require approval of bottled water products sold within their states.
Federally controlled waters are waters on which vessels must observe federal requirements, including visual distress signal requirements. These waters include: Coastal waters. The Great Lakes.
Bottled water is regulated as a food product by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA does not require bottled water companies to use certified laboratories for water quality testing or to report test results.
It's important to note that the federal government does not require bottled water to be safer than tap. In fact, just the opposite is true in many cases. Tap water in most big cities must be disinfected, filtered to remove pathogens, and tested for cryptosporidium and giardia viruses. Bottled water does not have to be.
Bottled water is fully regulated as a food by the United States Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) under the Federal Food, Drug,and Cosmetic Act (“FFDCA” or the “Act”), 21 U.S.C.
Does Waiākea Have PFAS? Nope! Waiākea Hawaiian Volcanic Water has no PFAS in any of its products, including its sparkling and non-carbonated water. In fact, Waiākea is one of few bottled water brands to have no detectable (ND) levels of PFAS in its still or sparkling water.
It has been scientifically confirmed that drinking too pure water for a long time can be hazardous to your health. In fact, it causes more bodily harm and is faster than most contaminants found in tap water. As per some studies, the filtration process removes 92-99% of beneficial minerals and nutrients from the water.
The recall impacts about 61,500 bottles of Gerolsteiner Sparkling Natural Mineral Water sold from December 2024 to January 2025 at Trader Joe's stores in 12 states, according to the CPSC. They are being recalled because the bottles "can crack, causing a laceration hazard." So far no injuries have been reported.
Bottled water may not contain sweeteners or chemical additives and must be calorie-free and sugar-free. Flavors, extracts and essences that are 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.
These waters include: Coastal waters (Coastal waters are the Atlantic Ocean; the Gulf of Mexico; and all bays, sounds, harbors, rivers, inlets, etc., where any entrance is over two miles wide to the first point where the distance between shorelines narrows to two miles.)
Safe Drinking Water Act. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was originally passed by Congress in 1974 to protect public health by regulating the nation's public drinking water supply. Read the SDWA Overview.
The new WOTUS Rule significantly narrows the geographic reach of the CWA, excluding, for example, wetlands that lack a continuous surface connection to traditionally navigable waters.
In the US, bottled water is federally regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) while municipal tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). States also have their own regulations for both bottled and tap water, which are sometimes more strict than federal regulations.
The ingredients (except certain colors) and labeling of cosmetics, such as many perfumes, makeup, moisturizers, shampoos, hair dyes, face and body cleansers, and shaving preparations do not require FDA approval.
Regulation of bottled water is managed through the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, located in College Park, Maryland.
Spring water is among the healthiest water to drink because it offers several benefits. It is naturally purified from an underground source, which means it is free of harmful contaminants like lead and chlorine. Since it does not undergo added filtration before bottling, it retains the beneficial minerals in the water.
However, a growing body of research has found that bottled water has its own challenges — and regular tap water may be better in most situations. A recent scientific paper published in BMJ Global Health argues that tap water in the U.S. is almost always a healthier choice than drinking bottled water.