March 31, 1999
Web posted at: 9:54 a.m. EST (1454 GMT)

In this story: Nationwide standards not in place Water business is gushing ahead RELATED STORIES, SITES

(CNN) -- Bottled water is often touted as pure and healthy, but it may not be safer than ordinary tap water, according to study of bottled water samples by an environmental advocacy group.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) tested more than 1,000 bottles of 103 different brands of bottled water from bought in California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Texas and the District of Columbia.

Most waters were high quality, but about one-third of the brands tested had at least one sample that was contaminated with high levels of pollutants that exceeded levels allowed by California or bottled water industry standards or guidelines. California has the highest set of standards for bottled water, the NRDC says.

The study found 22 percent of waters contained levels of synthetic compounds such as arsenic that exceeded the California limit, and 17 percent contained levels of bacteria above voluntary industry standards.

Nationwide standards not in place

The Food and Drug administration regulates bottled water on a federal level, but waters bottled and sold within the same state (about 60 to 70 percent of all bottled water) are exempt and regulated by state authorities.

Tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency which has stricter requirements for water including disinfection and testing for parasites such as giardia.

"Bottled water is essentially regulated on the honor system in most states," said Eric Olson, one of the authors of the report. "Unlike tap water suppliers, bottlers need not disclose to consumers known contaminants in their products."

The International Bottled Water Association, whose members manufacture 85 percent of bottled water sold in the United States, stressed that the NRDC reported a majority of bottled water was "of good quality." IBWA said during the past 37 years under the FDA's regulations, there have been "no confirmed reports" of illness related to bottled water in the United States.

NRDC's report recommends nationwide federal review for bottled water and a penny-a-bottle fee to fund bottled water regulation.

The findings comes as Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-New Jersey) plans on introducing legislation to Congress requiring the same standards for chemical and bacterial contamination as tap water and more detailed labeling for bottled water.

"There may be bottled water that's cleaner than tap water and some that's dirtier, but now there's no way for consumers to tell the difference," Lautenberg said.

Water business is gushing ahead

The purity of bottled water has also been criticized for a mineral it's lacking -- fluoride. Few bottled waters contain the fluoride levels found in municipal water supplies. The mineral, credited with preventing cavities in children and adults, is added to nearly 60 percent of the nation's public water supply.

The American Dental Association reports the mineral prevents between 40 and 60 percent of cavities in people who live in communities with fluorinated tap water.

Americans drink an estimated 3.4 billion gallons of bottled water, often sold as distilled water, spring water or mineral water, each year. Consumption has been increasing about 10 percent a year, the industry says.

The market is dominated by smaller producers but large companies are taking bottled water's popularity seriously. Coca-Cola Co. announced in February it will start selling a line of mineral-enhanced bottled water during the next year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.