The Issue
Bottled Water
Bottled water is no safer than filtered tap water, but the industry doesn’t have to disclose the results of its testing. Learn more about EWG’s bottled water research.
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The Latest on Bottled Water
Pure, clean water.
That’s what the ads say. But what does the lab say?
When you shell out for bottled water, which costs up to 1,900 times more than tap water, you have a right to know what exactly is inside that pricey plastic bottle.
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When the head of a public interest group (like, say, EWG) receives a threatening letter from one of the nation's top industry lobbyists, it generally means he's done something right. On January 27, 2011, Joseph Doss president of the International Bottled Water Association demanded that Environmental Working Group president Ken Cook and his organization stop ranking and rating various bottled water brands.
Read MoreA survey of websites and labels of more than 170 bottled waters sold in the U.S. found only three – and only one of the top 10 domestic brands – that give customers information about the water’s source, the method of purification and any chemical pollutants that remained after the water was treated, according to a new report by Environmental Working Group (EWG).
Read MoreYou may have kicked the bottled water habit, but has your state government?
Read MoreYou've seen The Story of Stuff, right? That short and sweet video explanation of our "consumption problem" and what we can do about it? Well Annie Leonard and the gang at Free Range Studios (plus a few great partners, including EWG!) have done it again. This time about our bottled water problem.
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Last year we took a close look at 100s of bottled water labels to see how good (or bad) manufacturers are at sharing important information with consumers - like my mother, who buys it by the box (me = biting tongue; gotta pick your battles, right?
Read MoreWe all know bottled water is "the pits" (remember Erma Bombeck?), but we don't all say it like Derek. Listen up and be ready to laugh as Derek Forgie goes "inside the bottle."
Read MoreHere at EWG we talk a lot about water, because we think it should be safe to drink.
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We've studied bottled water a lot. You've probably seen our recent report on inadequate labeling (and our search tool for identifying better-labeled brands), and you might even have heard our Congressional testimony on the industry's insufficient regulations. But have you seen the documentary Tapped?
Read MoreIn our case, just the opposite: watching those chubby-cheeked acrobats fires our curiosity. How do they do that?
Read MoreA huge thanks to EWG fans for supplying the bottled water labels we needed to complete our report on bottled water labeling - which we ranked brand by brand. People-powered research at its finest.
Read MoreEWG's Jane Houlihan, Senior Vice President for Research, and Nneka Leiba, Environmental Health Researcher, head to a U.S. House hearing on the regulation of bottled water.
Read MoreEWG's Jane Houlihan, Senior Vice President for Research, and Nneka Leiba, Environmental Health Researcher, speak after a U.S. House hearing on the regulation of bottled water.
Read MoreAn Environmental Working Group (EWG) investigation of almost 200 popular bottled water brands found less than 2 percent disclose the water’s source, how the water has been purified and what chemical pollutants each bottle of water may contain. Just 2 of the 188 individual brands EWG analyzed disclosed those three basic facts about their water.
Read MoreWhen you want to know what’s in your tap water, look at your local water utility’s website. You’ll find the source of the water and any chemical pollutants remaining after treatment.
Read More"Purified by equatorial winds." "Pure as the driven snow." "Resonates with the energy and frequency of well-being." Your ... bottled water?
Read MoreEarlier this month, we daylighted a CDC report that showed perchlorate contamination in infant formula. Not surprisingly, we received quite a few questions about formula that week, so we put these recomendations together to supplement our perchlorate report FAQ.
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Cartoon depicting bottled water issues.
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