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Bottled
Water Manufacturing Practices Bottled water is protected by a multi-barrier approach which may include steps such as source protection and monitoring, reverse osmosis, micron filtration, distillation, ozonation, the application of ultraviolet light or other appropriate processing measures. Bottled water products labeled as spring water, well water, artesian water and mineral water must come from protected sources which are monitored frequently. Bottled water may also come from treated municipal supplies. ABWA member companies using municipal sources employ processing methods, such as reverse osmosis, micron filtration, distillation and/or ozonation to remove any chemical and microbiological contaminants, including cryptosporidium. ABWA members, regardless of their source type, use a variety of practices to ensure the safety and high quality of their products. Following is a description of practices
and processing steps which, when used in any number or combination, may
comprise a multi-barrier approach: Source Protection: This involves
maintaining the water source in such a way that it is not exposed to, or
influenced by, contamination. By selecting appropriate sources, it is
possible to ensure that such protected sources are not susceptible to
environmental contaminants, or any agricultural or industrial
pollutants. Combined with source monitoring, source protection is an
effective way of ensuring bottled water’s safety and purity. Source Monitoring: This involves a
series of tests and procedures designed to determine whether a source is
suitable for use. Once a source is selected, it is constantly monitored,
ensuring bottled water manufacturers that the source of their water
continues to be safe and of high quality. In addition, natural
underground sources must be inspected, tested and certified by the state
or country of origin to be of sanitary quality.
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