Bottled Water

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Bottled Water
The Real Facts About
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Theres been a lot of misinformation about
bottled water.
Here are the facts.
It is a safe, healthy, convenient food product
that millions of people drink to stay hydrated
and enjoy its refreshing taste. Efforts to
discourage the use of bottled water are not in
the public interest.
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Why do people choose bottled water?

• Safety.
• Healthful and tastes refreshing.
• Convenient.
• A healthy alternative to other beverages for
  people seeking to eliminate or reduce their
  consumption of calories, sugar, sweeteners,
  caffeine, colorants, and other additives.
• No chlorine taste or odor.
• Available at various price points and sizes.

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Bottled water is heavily regulated as a food
product at the state and federal level.
Federal law requires that FDA regulations for
bottled water be as protective of the public
health as the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) standards for tap water 21 U.S.C. 349.
This includes FDA standards of identity,
standards of quality, and good manufacturing
practices. Safe hydration is a matter of
choice.  
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Most people drink both bottled water and tap,
depending on the circumstances.
It is not a tap water vs. bottled water debate.
Theres a time and place for both.
Drinking water is a good thing!
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Bottled water companies use both groundwater and
municipal water as sources.

• Purified municipal waters are not just tap water
  in a bottle.

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Bottled water in the market How to read a
label.
Spring Water derived from a natural underground
formation or aquifer. Artesian Water from a
well or bore hole tapping a confined aquifer.
  Mineral Water containing not less than 250
parts per million total dissolved solids, from a
source tapped at one or more boreholes or
springs. No minerals may be added.   Sparkling
Bottled Water after treatment and possible
replacement of carbon dioxide, contains the same
amount of carbon dioxide that it had at the
emergence from the source.
The FDA has standards of identity that require
the type of bottled water to be clearly stated on
the product label.   Drinking Water intended
for human consumption, sealed containers with no
added ingredients, except optional Fluoride.
  Purified Water municipal-based water
produced by distillation, deionization, reverse
osmosis, or other suitable processes while
meeting the definition of purified water in the
U.S. Pharmacopoeia.    
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Some people claim that bottled water made in
only one state is not subject to FDA
regulations.That is not true.If any component
of the product was made in another state -
regardless of whether products are sold across
state lines - the FDA has jurisdiction over
bottled water products.
Virtually all bottled water in the United States
has componentsbe it caps, labeling, or label
gluethat are sold across state lines
therefore, FDAs comprehensive and stringent
regulations apply to these products.
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Bottled water plastic containers are 100 percent
recyclable.
Bottled Water The Original Recyclers Larger
bottles used in home and office delivery coolers
can be sanitized and re-used an average of 50
times before they are shredded and then recycled.
The bottled water industry supports comprehensive
curbside recycling programs and partners with
other beverage and food companies,
municipalities, and the recycling industry to
educate consumers.
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Materials are getting lighter, and bottlers
are using fewer natural resources. Bottled Water
companies are reducing their environmental
footprint by using lighter-weight plastics. Many
bottled water producers have reduced the plastic
container weight for water bottles by 27 percent
in the past seven years. Alternative packaging
solutions, such as recycled content, are also
being used.
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Bottled water is one of thousands of food
products and other consumer goods packaged in
plastic containers.
Plastic bottled water containers make up only 1/3
of ONE percent of the U.S. municipal waste
stream, according to the EPA. To be effective,
efforts to reduce the environmental impact of
packaging must focus on all consumer goods - and
not just target any one industry.
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Bottled water companies use minimal amounts of
groundwater.

• And are just one of many users of groundwater.

 Bottled water accounts for less than 2/100 of
ONE percent (0.02 percent) of the total
groundwater withdrawn in the U.S. each year,
according to a 2005 study by the Drinking Water
Research Foundation.
Other water users Irrigation uses 68
percent. Public supply (tap) uses 19 percent.
Bottled water companies have a proven commitment
to environmental stewardship and a vested
interest and responsibility to protect the
resources they use to produce a healthy packaged
beverage.
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Safety of Plastic Packaging.
The FDA's safety criteria require extensive
toxicity testing for any substance that may be
ingested at more than negligible levels. That
means the FDA has affirmatively determined that,
when plastics are used as intended in
food-contact applications, the nature and amount
of substances that may migrate, if any, are safe.
Bottom line Plastic bottled water containers
are safe for consumer use.
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Bottled water is always there in times of
emergency.
Fires
Tornadoes
Hurricanes
Floods
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The bottled water industry gave out millions and
millions of servings after Hurricane Katrina,
alone.
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Bottled water is there for water main breaks,
boil alerts and other circumstances that
compromise municipal water systems.
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Contrary to critics claims, bottled water
companies spend very little on advertising.

• Marketing is a standard component of any business.

Bottled water competes in a market filled with
other bottled beverages carbonated sodas,
juices, teas, coffees, etc. so it is important
to advertise bottled water as a beverage
choice. Federal and state laws require bottled
water advertising, labeling, and marketing to be
truthful and not misleading.
52 million The amount spent, in total, on
bottled water advertising in 2006. 637 million
The amount spent, in total, on carbonated soft
drink advertising that year. 1 billion The
amount spent, in total, to advertise beer.
And if a company violates advertising standards?
Hefty fines and penalties.
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Cant Get Enough of Bottled Water?

• Dont let others take away your choice.
• Sign the petition to keep bottled water in the
  hands of consumers, and tell lawmakers not to
  restrict your access to a convenient, healthy
  beverage choice.

www.bottledwatermatters.com/petition.php