What Is Involved in the Water Bottling Process?
Bottled water has been around in the United States since the late 1970s. Originally, it was promoted as a healthy way of attaining additional minerals. Throughout the 1990s and early part of the 21st century, the industry continued to grow. As of figures in 2009, nearly 80 percent of Americans purchase and drink bottled water. The process by which the water is bottled is rather simple and varies from company to company.
Types
There are a number of different types of water used in the bottling process. These include spring water from the earth, purified drinking water from public water systems and mineral water from wells that contain minerals.
Features
The first step of bottling water is the process of gathering the water from a source. Depending on the source, whether from the ground or municipal water supply, different methods are needed to pump it out or simply gather the water through pipes.
Significance
Filtering the water is one of the most important steps in producing the product. A number of processes are used to purify the bottled water including ultraviolet light, reverse osmosis, distillation and micron filtration.
Misconceptions
Bottled water is not necessarily better than tap water, which is regulated by the EPA. The FDA monitors the bottling process, which does not check for a variety of contaminates, such as asbestos and parasites. However, the lead and chlorine content is strictly controlled.
Considerations
Additional monitoring over the process of bottling water is handled by both state agencies and the International Water Bottlers Association (IBWA). The IBWA is a voluntary membership, but more than 80 percent of the water bottlers in the U.S. take part.
