“Because FDA's experience over the years has shown that bottled water has a good safety record, bottled water plants generally are assigned low priority for inspection.”
Issue | Bottled Water Regulated by FDA |
Tap Water Regulated by EPA |
---|---|---|
E. Coli | A certain amount of any bacteria is allowed. | Cannot have confirmed E. coli or fecal Coliform bacteria. |
Filtration | No federal filtration or disinfection requirements. | Filtered and/or disinfected |
Enforcement | Bottled water in violation of standards can still be sold. | Violation of drinking water standards are grounds for enforcement. |
Testing | Such testing is not required for bottlers. | Utilities must have their water tested by certified labs. |
Reporting | There are no reporting requirements for bottlers. | Tap water results must be reported to state or federal officials. |
Certification | Bottled water plant operators do not have to be certified. | Water system operators must be certified. |
Right-to-know | There are no public right-to-know requirements for bottlers. | Water suppliers must issue consumer confidence reports annually. |
Expense | Costs $.80 to $4.00 per gallon. | Costs pennies a day. |
Nutrition | Natural minerals are removes by filtration. | Contains essential nutrients for the body such as calcium and iron. |
Bacteria | No disinfectant present to kill bacteria in bottles. | Chlorine residual in water to prevent bacteria growth. |