Beverages: Bottled water must comply with new arsenic rule by January

WASHINGTON, DC, June 9, 2005 -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a final rule for regulations governing bottled water quality. The agency is amending its bottled water quality standard regulations by revising the existing allowable level for the contaminant arsenic.

As a consequence, bottled water manufacturers are required to monitor their finished bottled water products for arsenic at least once each year under the current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations for bottled water. Bottled water manufacturers are also required to monitor their source water for arsenic as often as necessary, but at least once every year unless they meet the criteria for the source water monitoring exemptions under the CGMP regulations. This final rule will ensure that the minimum quality of bottled water, as affected by arsenic, remains comparable with the quality of public drinking water that meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards.

This rule is effective Jan. 23, 2006. For additional information, see http://epa.gov/EPA-WATER/2005/June/Day-09/ or contact Jennifer A. Burnham at the FDA Center for Food
Safety and Applied Nutrition , 301-436-2030.

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