Bottled Water Regulation

• In the United States, the Food & Drug Administration s standards of identity, regulates the bottled water industry. Standards of identity define types of water for labeling purposes. Ground water must not be under the direct influence of surface water. Water containing not less than 250 parts per million of total dissolved solids is mineral water. Artesian water comes from a well tapping a confined aquifer in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer. Tapping of Artesian water requires the assistance of an external force to enhance the natural underground pressure. Water that has undergone distillation, deionization, or reverse osmosis is purified or demineralized water. Sparkling water contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had at emergence from the source, although it is acceptable for the removal and the replenished of CO2 during treatment. Spring water flows naturally from an underground formation to the Earth's surface. Sterile water meets the requirements under "sterility tests" in the United States Pharmacopoeia. Well water comes from a hole bored or drilled in the ground that taps into an aquifer. Standards of quality regulate acceptable levels of the water's turbidity, color and odor, according to sample analysis. Exemptions are made according to aesthetically based allowable levels, and do not relate to health concerns. An example is mineral water, which is exempt from allowable color levels.