The International Bottled Water Association Responds to the

Natural Resources Defense Council’s Report on Bottled Water

(Alexandria, VA) – The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is surprised that the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is trying to scare consumers with its report on bottled water, when the NRDC’s own testing shows that bottled water is safe. Indeed, the NRDC report confirms the quality results of the industry’s own testing program.

According to NRDC’s independent testing, “the levels of synthetic organic chemicals and inorganic chemicals of concern for which we (NRDC) tested were either below detection limits or well below all applicable standards.”

Bottled water is one of the most highly regulated products under FDA regulatory authority. Under the FDA regulatory system, the bottled water industry is subject to a product withdrawal system, which includes industry-initiated recalls and FDA product seizures, where necessary. For the past 37 years – under FDA’s regulatory authority – there have been no confirmed reports in the U.S. of illness or disease linked to bottled water. The EPA, which regulates tap water, lacks a system to remove products from the market and relies on the less effective consumer notification system.

In addition to complying with federal regulations, IBWA members, who manufacture 85 percent of the bottled water sold in the U.S., follow a Model Code, which has been used as a basis for state bottled water regulations, including those in California. The association routinely employs additional measures to further the protection of its product beginning with the source and continuing through to the packaging. The protections include good manufacturing practices and unannounced plant inspections.

The bottled water industry has its own “right-to-know” system, in which consumers can check the IBWA Web site (www.bottledwater.org) or call 1-800-WATER-11 to find out if their favorite brand is covered by the association’s Model Code. Virtually all IBWA members provide complete testing information on contaminants to consumers on request. Company contact information of all marketers of bottled water is required to be on the product label by law.

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IBWA is the trade association representing the bottled water industry. Founded in 1958, IBWA’s member companies produce and distribute 85 percent of the bottled water sold in the United States. IBWA’s membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers.