City water systems are required to issue ”right to know” reports yearly, telling consumers what is in their water. There is no comparable requirement for bottled water.
City tap water must contain no confirmed E.coli or fecal coliform bacteria. FDA bottled water rules include no similiar prohibition.
City tap water, from surface water, must be filtered and disinfected. The are no similiar federal requirments for filtration or disinfection for bottled water.
Most cities using surface water have been required to test for two common water pathogens, Giardiathat and Cryptosporidium, that can cause diarrhea and other intestinal problems. Bottled water companies have not been required to test for these.
City tap water must meet standards for certain important toxic or cancer-causing chemicals, such as phthalate. The FDA has exempted bottled water from the regulations for these chemicals.
Leave a Reply
