Bottled water not always purer water

March 30 While millions of Americans have switched to bottled water because they think it is better for their health, a new report shows that it may not be any purer or safer than tap water. Some “designer” waters may even pose a health threat to vulnerable people, according to the national study from an environmental watchdog group.

Currently, bottled water is required to be tested less frequently than city tap water for bacteria and chemical contaminants.
— ERIK OLSON
NRDC IN A FOUR-YEAR study of 103 brands of bottled water, one-third contained levels of bacteria or carcinogens that exceeded purity guidelines, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reported.

Bottled waters do not generally pose a major public health treat, said study author Erik Olson, a senior attorney at NRDC. Most water is free of contaminants.

But just because you buy your water in a bottle doesn't mean it is any safer, purer or better than water that comes out of your tap, he said.

While many people believe that bottled water contains no chlorine or harmful chemicals, the study found that fluoride, phthalate, trihalomethanes and arsenic, a known carcinogen, can be found in some bottled waters.

Among the people for whom the presence of bacteria in bottled water might pose a health threat are some infants, the frail elderly, those with AIDS, some chemotherapy and transplant patients and others with weakened immune systems, Olson said.

Armed with the new findings, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) planned on Tuesday to introduce legislation that calls for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to enact stricter oversight of the bottled water industry, Olson said.

And NRDC also filed a formal petition to the FDA asking that bottled water regulations and oversight be upgraded, Olson said. Among its requests is a right-to-know requirement, which calls for labels that disclose all contaminants in the water.

But even more importantly, Olson said, the government must ensure that tap water is safe. Otherwise, you have a two-tiered system in which the rich can buy bottled water to protect their health and the poor are left defenseless.

BIG BUSINESS

Whether it's sold as mineral water, sparkling water, spring water, distilled water, purified water or filtered water, there's no denying bottled water is big business. Americans spent some $3.5 billion last year on about as many gallons. And the figures are expected to jump another 10 percent this year. The International Bottled Water Association said the environmental group is trying to scare consumers with its report on bottled water, when NRDC's own testing shows that levels of chemicals of concern were either below detection limits or well below all applicable standards. For the past 37 years there have been no confirmed reports in the U.S. of illness or disease linked to bottled water, the trade group said in a statement.

Nevertheless, Olson said, People can drink what they want, but if they're going to spend up to 10,000 times more per gallon for bottled water, as opposed to what comes from the tap, they have a right to know what's in the water, where it's from, and that it's absolutely pure.

OTHER FINDINGS: More then one-fifth of tested brands contained levels of bacteria or cancer-causing compounds that exceeded the California limit, which is the strictest in the country.

Seventeen percent of tested brands contained more bacteria than allowed under purity guidelines. 13 states have dedicated no staff or resources to regulating bottled water.

The study also found that between 25 and 40 percent of bottled waters are re-packaged municipal tap water which may or may not have been subject to additional treatment.

Currently, bottled water is required to be tested less frequently than city tap water for bacteria and chemical contaminants, Olson added. Bottled water is essentially regulated on the honor system in most states. There is no requirement that water be tested in certified labs. Bottlers are not required to report known standards violations. And unlike tap water suppliers, bottlers need not disclose to consumers known contaminants in their products.

So how do you find out if the bottled water you buy is safe and pure?

Most times you would have no idea, Olson said. The consumer is left out in the cold.

A few guidelines that might help:

• Check the bottle label and even the cap if it says from a municipal source or from a community water system, this means it is from tap water.
  
• Call or write the bottler to ask what the source is.
  
• Check the NRDC Web site to see if your brand was among the 103 tested and what the results were.