Bottled Water

Note: These tests used established FDA- or EPA-approved test methods, but are not necessarily statistically representative of all bottled water of the brand listed. See text for further discussion.

a  Row with bold name indicates level exceeding standard or guideline: asterisk {*} indicates exceeds enforceable standard; dagger {†} indicates exceeds unenforceable guideline. See text and accompanying Technical Report (print report only).

b  As discussed in the text, the California Proposition 65 ("Prop. 65") levels noted in this table are derived from the "No Significant Risk" levels established by the California Department of Health Services, and are based on the CDHS’s rules’ assumption that people drink 2 liters of water per day (the same assumption used by the U.S. EPA). Thus, for example, the Arsenic Proposition 65 level is 10 micrograms per day, so assuming 2 liters of water consumed per day, the Prop. 65 Arsenic level is 5 ppb.

c  There is no enforceable FDA standard for HPC bacteria. We use 500 cfu/ml as an informal guideline. HPC bacteria are not necessarily harmful themselves but are often used as an indicator of overall sanitation during bottling. The European Union (EU) has adopted an enforceable bottled water standard of 100 colonies per 100 ml (at 22^oC) at bottling. EPA’s tap water rules provide that water containing over 500 cfu/ml is treated as a coliform-positive sample absent proof of adequate disinfectant residual. The International Bottled Water Association recommends plants meet a level of <30 cfu/ml at bottling, and <200 cfu/ml in 90% of samples tested 5 days after bottling. Massachusetts and New York have an informal bottled water guideline (unenforceable) of 500 cfu/ml. Other states (such as RI) also have informal guidelines.

d  Federal tap water and bottled water standards for arsenic, originally set in 1942 and not revised since, is 50 ppb. Congress has required updated standard by 2001. International (WHO/EU) standard is 10 ppb (see text).

e  TTHMs are "total trihalomethanes," potentially cancer-causing chemicals created when organic matter reacts with chlorine. Recent studies also indicate TTHMs may also be linked to birth defects and spontaneous abortions. While California and International Bottled Water Association (industry trade association) standard is 10 ppb, new Federal tap water standard is 80 ppb, and FDA bottled water standard is 100 ppb (see text).

f  BDCM is bromodichloromethane, a type of trihalomethane (see above).

g  DBCM is dibromochloromenthane, a type of trihalomethane (see above).

Note re Crystal Geyser: The Crystal Geyser company has provided NRDC with test results indicating that beginning in April 1999, Crystal Geyser substantially reduced the arsenic levels in its spring water, in an agreement reached after they were sued (based on NRDC's previous test results) by the Environmental Law Foundation, a California Public Interest Group. This testing shows that as of April 1999, arsenic is either not found, or, if present, is found at levels between non-detectable (<2 ppb) and 4.8 ppb, maximum. These levels are below the California Proposition 65 arsenic warning level of 5 ppb and well below current federal standard, but EPA recently has proposed to drop the federal drinking water standard to 5 ppb.