| Spring water bottled by bottling companies may not be | | | | U.S.). This means that one in five states doesn't |
| any better, and in some cases worse, than good old | | | | regulate this water. Observe some of the labels below |
| tap water. There are several reasons for this but first | | | | of several companies that caused the FDA to take |
| consider how the industry has grown. In the last 10 | | | | regulatory action in 1995 that drive home this point; |
| years the spring water in a bottled concept has more | | | | "Spring Water" (with a picture of a lake surrounded by |
| than tripled. The aggressive campaign by the bottling | | | | mountains on the label) -- Was actually from an |
| companies to convince consumers that tap water isn't | | | | industrial parking lot next to a hazardous waste site. |
| safe is mainly responsible. Several outbreaks of | | | | Alasikaâ„¢ Alaska Premium Glacial Drinking |
| bacterial infestation in some major city water suppplies | | | | Water: Pure Glacier Water From the Last Unpolluted |
| has contributed as well. What is important to | | | | Frontier, Bacteria Free" -- Apparently came from a |
| understand is that the standards that are set by the | | | | public water supply. This label has since been changed |
| government agencies for both spring water bottled | | | | after FDA intervention. Vals Water "Known to |
| and tap water are completely different. The tap water | | | | Generations in France for its Agreeable Contribution to |
| standards are much stricter. A number of bottling | | | | Health and Purity . . . Reputed to Help Restore Energy, |
| companies had be caught in blatant violation of such | | | | Vitality, and Combat Fatigue" -- The International |
| standards. One company was shut down after | | | | Bottled Water Association voluntary code prohibits |
| drawing water right out of the Potomac River near | | | | health claims, but some bottlers still make such claims. |
| Washtington D.C. to be bottled and sold. Even today | | | | If one can't be sure then if bottled water is safe, what |
| others have been heavily fined for drawing water | | | | is the alternative? How about tap water? Drinking |
| from the tap and bottling for sale. Their are numerous | | | | water from the tap has become so taboo that some |
| considerations that need to be made before blindly | | | | people will avoid water altoghether unless it comes |
| purchasing srping water bottled for sale. | | | | from a bottle. The FDA does not require the following |
| Spring water is considered water the flows from an | | | | conditions met ofr bottled water; disinfection, |
| underground formation naturally to the earths surface. | | | | confirmation of the absence of E. Coli and Fecal |
| Spring water must be collected only at the spring or | | | | Coliform, filter removal of pathogens, and testing for |
| through a borehole tapping the underground formation | | | | Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and viruses. These are all |
| feeding the spring. Spring water collected with the use | | | | required by the EPA for tap water but not for bottled |
| of an external force must be from the same | | | | water. Surprising wouldn't you say? Another |
| underground stratum as the spring and must have all | | | | consideration; bacterial testing for bottled water is once |
| the physical properties before treatment, and be of the | | | | per weeks whereas tap water is tested hundreds of |
| same composition and quality as the water that flows | | | | times per month. Testing for synthetic organic |
| naturally to the surface of the earth. | | | | chemicals for tap water is once per quarter whereas |
| Just the fact that a spring water bottling water | | | | bottled water is once per year. What's even worse is |
| company extracted that water from a spring it doesn't | | | | that carbonated and seltzer waters follow none of the |
| mean that chemicals weren't added. The possibility | | | | aforementioned guidelines or standards. So the next |
| exists that spring water can pick up contaminants | | | | time you purchase bottled spring water thinking it is the |
| whole being transported in large over-the-road tanks. It | | | | answer to the tap water, do remember that the FDA |
| can still be contaminated by acid rain, industrial pollution, | | | | standards that govern the bottled water industry aren't |
| or parasites. A label on a bottle that says "spring | | | | as strict as EPA standards for tap water. |
| water" doesn't necessarily mean that it is natural, safe, | | | | Marketing is very powerful tool to sell products. Now |
| healthy, and pure. One of the aspects of FDA | | | | that we know that bottled water is not necessarily |
| regulations that govern the standards of the bottled | | | | purified water my suggestion is to acquire the city |
| water industry is that they don't regulate the | | | | water testing standards and results to be safe but |
| companies that package and sell bottled water in the | | | | purchase a carbon block filter/uv light purification water |
| same state (which is 60-70% of all water sold in the | | | | treatment system for your home drinking water. |