Common Treatment for Bottled Water

　　Bottled water is subjected to stringent testing to meet regulatory standards before being sold in the United States. It is usually sourced from groundwater, which provides a more reliable quality and lower contamination risk compared to surface water. Nevertheless, it can have higher levels of natural contaminants such as radioactive substances, arsenic, and nitrates, or may be prone to pollutants caused by human activities, including industrial waste and leaks from underground storage tanks. Some products, though, are derived from surface water, which can provide a more consistent taste than tap water. Surface water treatment typically involves extra steps like filtration and disinfection. The addition of fluoride to bottled water, whether from public systems or naturally occurring fluoride, must be indicated on the label. The difference in taste between bottled and tap water is often due to the disinfection method; while tap water may utilize chlorine or chloramines, bottled water usually uses ozone or advanced techniques like UV light or chlorine dioxide, which do not leave behind a residual taste. Unlike tap water that needs to maintain disinfectant levels during distribution, bottled water is not subject to this concern because of its sealed packaging. The taste of untreated water from either source reflects the characteristics of its origin.

　　The purification of bottled water employs various methods such as distillation, which removes substances by boiling and condensing; micron filtration, which uses increasingly finer filters to eradicate contaminants; ozonation, a disinfection process; reverse osmosis, where water is forced through a membrane; and UV light treatment, which is effective for destroying microbes. Manufacturers of bottled water must comply with the FDA’s good manufacturing practices for safety and hygiene. Consumers looking for detailed information about their bottled water can contact the brand directly for the most recent test results, using EPA and FDA guidelines as the standard for quality evaluation.

　　For more information, consult: The Bottled Water Purification Process, One Third of Bottled Water Contains Contaminants, and Bottled Water – know What You Are Buying.