Our Water Quality Standards

Providing crisp, refreshing, great-tasting water is a complex process - Here's how we make our bottled water taste so good.

At Culligan we are proud that our bottled water meets and exceeds all applicable bottled water standards for quality and safety at the Federal and state level. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottled water as a food. Culligan uses certified laboratories to perform extensive tests on its water sources and bottled water products to ensure we meet or exceed all Federal and state bottled water regulations.

Collectively, federal, state and industry bottled water quality standards establish limits for microbiological, physical, chemical and radiological substances for both source water and bottled water products. Federal testing frequencies for these parameters are included in the Food and Drug Administration Good Manufacturing Practices for bottled water.² Culligan adheres to state, federal and industry bottled water quality standards to ensure that every bottle we deliver to your home or office is safe to drink and has a consistently great taste. In addition to existing stringent regulatory standards, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) maintains a strict Bottled Water Code of Practice for its members. Culligan is a member of IBWA and meets and exceeds the quality requirements of the IBWA Model Code of Practice. Additionally, we take pride in the fact that our bottled water production plants are annually inspected by independent third-party organizations. These annual plant inspections, coupled with annual product testing, ensure that Culligan complies with federal and state bottled water regulations and the IBWA Code of Practice. For more information about IBWA and the IBWA Code of Practice, please visit the IBWA web site or call IBWA at 1-800-Water-11.

Bottle Water Regulations

Bottled water, one of the most regulated food products, is subject to three levels of regulatory standards: federal, state and industry.

Federal Regulations

On a federal level, bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a food product to ensure bottled water product quality and safety from production to packaging to consumption. All bottled water products must comply with FDA's Quality Standards listed in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) including:

• Standards of Quality

• Standards of Identity - (includes labeling regulations and standardized terms)

• Good Manufacturing Practices - (includes plant construction, sanitary facilities and process controls)

• The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 - (requires records maintenance, as well as registering bottling and operations/sales facilities with the FDA)

State Standards

In addition to FDA's extensive regulatory requirements, the bottled water industry is subject to state regulatory requirements as well.

A significant responsibility of the states is inspecting, sampling, analyzing and approving sources of water. Under the federal Good Manufacturing Processes, only approved sources of water can be used to supply a bottling plant. Although regulations vary from state to state, in general they cover the following:

• Laboratory certification

• Setting quality standards

• Issuing bottling plant permits

• Approving water sources

• Reviewing bottled water product labeling

• Testing source and bottled water products

IBWA Standards

Bottled water companies that are members of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) must adhere to stringent industry standards. IBWA has established a quality assurance program, a strict set of standards called the Bottled Water Code of Practice. In some instances, the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is stricter than FDA regulations. The IBWA is also active at all levels of the local, state and federal government assisting in the development of comprehensive bottled water regulations. As a member of the IBWA, we must comply with the following standards:

• Annual inspections by third-party auditors

• Audits of all areas of plant production

• Adherence to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Program

• Audits to ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state and industry bottled water quality regulatory standards

Another area in which some states have important responsibilities that complement federal regulation is the certification of testing laboratories. As with any food establishment, the states perform unannounced plant inspections, and some states perform annual inspections.

Water Quality Reports

The following reports were conducted by certified labs on our water quality. The analyses include bottled drinking water quality test results for inorganic, organics, and radiological substances as well as physical parameters: