Bottled Water: Separate the Source, Treatment and Label

Read source and treatment as separate information

A bottled-water category can describe where water comes from, how it was treated or what its source minerals are. It does not automatically tell you the sodium concentration, condition of a particular bottle or suitability for a personal health situation. Read the exact product label and the maker’s relevant report before comparing a specific concern.

This guide uses FDA’s US bottled-water consumer explanation, dated 22 April 2022, and an identified manufacturer-published annual report. Legal naming rules can differ by market. Do not assume that the same words on a bottle sold elsewhere have exactly the US regulatory meaning described here.

First write down your question: source identity, treatment process, a named mineral, packaging size, price or a certification claim. Each needs a different field. A comparison becomes useful when the evidence answers that question instead of ranking all waters as healthier or cleaner.

Source: [1]

What the US category descriptions actually distinguish

Scroll sideways inside the table to read every column.

Some bottled water starts from a municipal supply and is treated before bottling. A municipal origin is a source fact; distillation or reverse osmosis is a process fact. Neither word alone completes a comparison of the finished product’s particular analytes.

FDA’s explanation treats beverages such as seltzer, tonic water, club soda and certain sparkling-water-labelled beverages separately from its bottled-water definition. Read the actual product and ingredients rather than making a category decision from a casual use of “sparkling.” This page does not supply a legal classification for an unexamined package.

Source: [1]

Match the exact product, source and market

Copy the product name, maker, market, bottle volume, source/treatment statement and relevant ingredient or nutrient information. A brand may sell several products, sizes or market versions. A report for one water line is not automatically a report for a flavoured product or every similarly branded drink.

In the evian annual PDF used here, the maker describes the Cachat Spring source and the first attached laboratory report identifies Natural Spring Water — Line 4; the second identifies Sparkling Spring Water — Line R. The first report has job A-00504667 and sample S-0002187285. Those specific identifiers are more useful for a source check than a stock photograph of a bottle.

The report page labels the download 2025, the cover is dated 16 March 2026, and the attached reports were authorized on 20 February 2025. These dates answer different questions. Record the report you actually opened instead of treating the date of your web visit as a fresh analysis.

We have not independently checked source geography, production operations or current certification status. The example teaches how to match a maker’s document to its stated product and dates; it is not our laboratory test.

Source: [2]

Give each comparison its own measurement basis

For a mineral or sodium question, find the named analyte and its unit in the relevant report or label. Total dissolved solids describes a total; it does not provide a missing sodium result. The sodium guide separates mg/L concentration from milligrams in a stated volume.

For a cost question, compare equal volumes and state the prices you actually observed. An invented arithmetic example illustrates the method: a 500 mL bottle priced at $1.20 is $2.40 per litre, while a 1.5 L bottle priced at $2.70 is $1.80 per litre. These are fictional prices, not a current retailer survey or a brand recommendation.

Equal-volume cost excludes deposits, delivery, taxes or other charges unless you deliberately add them. Similarly, a smaller bottle’s lower total sodium amount can come from its smaller volume even when concentration is higher. Make the comparison basis visible.

For taste, convenience and packaging, use your own stated preference and the actual package. This site has performed no comparative taste test, storage trial or bottle-material study. Do not present a report value as a measured preference score.

Source: [2]

Keep regulation, sample results and certification separate

FDA describes bottled-water standards of identity, quality and sanitary production. The existence of those rules is different from a complete report for your actual product or proof that a named certification is currently listed. Read each claim against its own evidence.

A laboratory ND result has an analytical boundary. A report’s PASS belongs to its test and conformity scope. The two focused tutorials explain ND and reporting limits and test reports versus product certification. A category name cannot replace either check.

An annual bottled-water report also does not describe your home tap. For community-supplied water, start with the supplier’s CCR; for a private well, obtain a relevant test. Do not use a source-category comparison to override a current official advisory.

Source: [1] [2]

Finish with a one-product comparison card

PRODUCT
Exact maker / product / market:
Source statement and treatment statement:
Bottle volume / ingredient or nutrient basis:
EVIDENCE FOR THE QUESTION
Named mineral or claim / report URL and dates:
Sample or product identity / units and qualifications:
Observed price and equal-volume basis, if relevant:
MISSING
Unmatched report, package or certification detail:
Question for maker, certifier or local authority:

For ordinary shopping, the useful result may be a clear source/process preference or a price comparison. For a prescribed sodium/fluid restriction, infant feeding or another clinical use, take the actual label and report to the responsible professional. This guide gives no personal allowance or permission to substitute one product for a prescribed preparation.

Download the blank record as plain text. Keep missing information blank until the appropriate source supplies it.