The Myths of Bottled Water

Bottled water might be a good candidate to run for public office –that is, if the commodity had the essence of personality to enter the political arena.

Despite so many reports, studies, anecdotes and just good, clean, refreshing facts about water’s health benefits and its fantastic convenience, bottled water over recent years has become the target of mudslinging campaigns, accusations and character assassinations by those who would prefer it to return to private practice.

We at Azure Water will counter the myths of bottled water use with some cool facts in an effort to put this campaign to rest and so that we can all proudly say: “I’ll drink to that.”

Here are six myths collected from the International Bottled Water Association and bottled water’s setting the record straight:

• MYTH: The industry takes water from people in other parts of the world who need it.
• TRUTH: Nearly 99 percent of bottled water sold in the United States is taken from domestic sources. The U.S. bottled water industry has no effect on sources of drinking water in any other country.
• MYTH: More than 17 million barrels of oil are needed per year to make bottled water bottles.
• TRUTH: This tidbit is attributed to unnamed “researchers” at the University of Louisville. However, the university’s Director of Media Relations Mark Hebert said: “We don’t have anyone who ever wrote about ‘17 million barrels of oil used to make PET water bottles.’ We have no idea where the ‘University of Louisville researchers’ has come from. We’ve asked all our environmental guys, our researchers in the engineering school and nobody has touched that one. The only thing, the closest that we can come, is there was a student last year who was trying to get folks on campus to quit using bottled water, but she didn’t have anything like that in her literature that even came close to that statement. So we don’t have clue where it came from, and if you find out, please let us know.”
• MYTH: Bottled water costs 1,000 times more than water from the tap.
• TRUTH: The average price per gallon of domestic bottled water was $1.03 in 2010, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation. As one of the most popular retail products, bottled water prices vary widely with most consumers buying it in bulk. Critics often cite the most expensive products at specialty outlets as their reference point.
• MYTH: The FDA permits “contaminants” in bottled water not allowed in tap water.
• TRUTH: The FDA’s bottled water quality standards are, for the most part, the same as the EPA’s maximum contaminant levels for tap water systems, according to the IBWA. The few variations in standards stem from the fact that certain tap water substances are not found in bottled water or are regulated by other provisions of the FDA law.
• MYTH: The FDA’s authority does not extend to bottled water produced and sold within a single state.
• TRUTH: The component theory governs FDA jurisdiction. That means that if any parts or components of a product – packaging, ink, paper, caps – is able to move in interstate commerce, it comes under the FDA’s jurisdiction. Federal law asserts that all food and beverage products are sold under that category and are therefore governed by the FDA.
• MYTH: Bottled water isn’t regulated as strictly as tap water.
• TRUTH: Federal law requires FDA regulations governing bottled water safety and quality to be at least as stringent as EPA’s tap water regulations.

Azure Water’s facility uses state-of-the-art equipment and the latest technology to ensure you get only the finest, purest water possible. We can produce custom-bottle shapes, and fill, seal and label your bottles. If you’re looking to expand your business or have questions about co-packing or our capabilities, contact us.