Bottled Water

Bottled water is an alternative for tap water that consumers may choose for several reasons, including taste, quality and convenience.

There are three main types of bottled waters:

• Natural mineral water
• Spring water
• Bottled drinking water

Natural mineral water and Spring waters are required to:

• Come from a specified underground source which is protected from any form of pollution
• Be bottled at source
• Be microbiologically safe without any treatment
• Comply with the Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Water Regulations

Natural mineral water must also:

• Have a guaranteed consistent chemical and physical composition
• Have  the mineral composition on the label
• Receive no treatment (with the exception of filtration to remove sand particles)

Spring waters differ:

• Some treatments are permitted to allow the removal of undesirable substances and may include the removal of certain minerals
• They must also comply with the Drinking Water Regulations

Bottled drinking Water

• May be referred to as 'Table Water'
• Comes from a variety of sources including municipal supplies
• Must conform to Drinking Water Regulations

All bottled waters may be either still or sparkling. Sparkling water contains carbon dioxide which may be naturally occurring or added during the bottling process.

Information about setting up a Bottled Water business can be found in the attached Factsheet