by Barbara Peterson

Created on: March 28, 2009

Debate over Regulation of Water in Bottles?

Back in Nov. 13, 19195 the FDA published regualtions that assisted in cleaning up the industry.At that time 50 percent of bottled water involved borehole drilling. Here the water doesn' t come from the spring but ends up being forced from ground with hydraulic pumps.

For a length of time there was a dilemna over labeling borehole water as natural spring water. The FdA concluded there was no diifference as borewater is identical to water from the spring. So they permitted the "natural spring water" label. This controversary causes one to think about- is borewater safe? Are those whom marketing such water asking for a controversy? Hydrogeolists

understand that pumping spring water near aquifers results in a change in pressure as suction creates. The borehole pumps are capable of yielding hundreds of gallons per minute resulting in drawing water from unfamilaiar and unassociated spring water.Majority of the time ground contamindants can seep into the borehole which selddom occurs in a natural spring. Any well less than 50' indept and less than 200 feet from surface water are very close to surface contamination.

This could mean higher contamindants. Now when there is run off from winter snow, flooding, and large rainfalls musch more contamindants have to be watched fore. A few contamindants familarilarily found are cryptosparidium and giardia and end up running throught the spring water. Boreholes have no specific ground level boring. At times there are problems with the flow of acquifer that feeds the spring. Where the borehole is- someimes the equilibrium is upset. This could be intreparated as strip minding for gold or clear cutting forest. After a long period, depletion of water resources would be the result.

An example was that Ozarka of Nacodoches,Texas caused a spring to be abondanded and contaminated by manganese. Forth Worth lobbied unsucessfully against Ozarka's borehole drilling. Some felt that borehole drainage effected privately owned wells. A week after pumping the well of Bart Sipriasnao went dry? Those involoved with borerdrilling have wiitnessed this type of drilling can demish the watershed area. One has to ask are our watershred areas becoming slim for pure and natural water? What will the future problems be for our children and grandchildren? Will they be able to have natural water?

It seems some protection and control needs to be implemented for the future. The International

Bottled Association favors regulations on drilled water as spring water. Since 1995 FDA does not regualte botlled industry. They have left up to the

bottling industry. Bottled water is safe to drink. Most drilling companies use ozone and radiation techniques. One has to suvmise which is safe how water is extracted and how is the water treated? In the past some bottles were taken from shelves revealing benezene. Labeling like all products should be honest to the public. They should reveal where the water came from, what testing was done before put into bottles and what chemical may be in the water? See one does not whom handled the water before put in bottles, what was person doing to self during filling the bottle, and how long do bottles sit around in storage, how long on vehicles in cold, hot or any kind weather. Also when drinking water in our cities -we do not always know what exactly is draining from the water mains, and what city people put into the water before it goes to lines within the city. Also we face the problem of old pipes in the homes causing lead posisioning. So no matter what choice we choose- one has to face reality is any water safe?

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