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Source: Reuters -
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Bottled water makers make millions off people who believe their
products are purer than tap water, but consumers do not realize
that they are less regulated than plain old tap water, according to
a US Congressional report released.
The report from the General Accountability Office also found that
the US Food and Drug Administration has little power to regulate
the safety of bottled water, and even states with the power to
regulate it concentrate more on tap water.
The report was just one piece of ammunition unleashed at the
bottled water industry at a hearing of the House of Representatives
Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations.
"Of particular note, FDA does not have the specific statutory
authority to require bottlers to use certified laboratories for
water quality tests or to report test results, even if violations
of the standards are found," the GAO report reads.
Jane Houlihan of the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy
organization that submitted a second report to the committee, said
in a statement: "Many people assume bottled water is healthier and
safer to drink than ordinary tap water.
"But some companies have lured consumers away from the tap with
claims of health and purity that aren't backed by public
data."
Sponsors of the hearing agreed.
"Americans are willing to pay top dollar for bottled water, which
costs up to 1,900 times more than tap water and uses up to 2,000
times more energy to produce and deliver," Michigan Representative
Bart Stupak told the hearing.
Contamination
"Over the past several years, however, bottled water has been
recalled due to contamination by arsenic, bromate, cleaning
compounds, mold, and bacteria. In April, a dozen students at a
California junior high school reportedly were sickened after
drinking bottled water from a vending machine."
Joseph Doss, president and chief executive officer of the
International Bottled Water Association, told the hearing that
Americans drank 33 billion litres of water in 2008, or 108 litres
per person.
"Sales revenues for the United States bottled water market in 2008
were approximately $US11.2 billion," Doss said.
"Bottled water consumption is about half that of carbonated soft
drinks and only slightly ahead of milk and beer.
The GAO found that the FDA does not regulate a compound called DEHP
in bottled water.
The Environmental Protection Agency regulated levels of DEHP, a
so-called phthalate linked to some health risks, in tap
water.
"Specifically, FDA deferred action on DEHP in a final rule
published in 1996 and has yet to either adopt a standard or publish
a reason for not doing so on the safety of bottled water," the GAO
said.
Doss said DEHP was unlikely to be in bottled water, which he said
was governed by several layers of regulation.
Stupak pointed out some of the claims by bottled water
makers.
"Aquamantra uses the design on its labels to affect the molecular
structure of California natural spring water to make it more
refreshing and wholesome to drink," one company's website
claims.
Poland Springs water talks about a polio victim who lived 52 years
more after drinking water from its spring.
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