Bottled drinking water: how to produce and label
How to register as a producer, and the rules you must follow to produce and market bottled drinking water.
Applies to England
This guide is for people or businesses who want to market their bottled drinking water in England.
To market in:
- Wales or Northern Ireland, read Food Standards Agency guidance
- Scotland, contact Food Standards Scotland
What counts as bottled drinking water
Bottled drinking water is any bottled water that’s not labelled or sold as:
It’s also sometimes known as table water.
You can bottle this water from any source, including public and private water sources, as long as:
- your water meets the rules in this guide
- you do not mislead consumers about its origin
You can sell it directly to consumers in bottles as well as other containers, such as:
- tetra packs and cartons
- water coolers
- pouches
You do not need to state the composition of the water on the label.
You’re allowed to use any treatment, and you do not need to list treatments on your labelling.
Check the different types of bottled water if you’re not sure which type you have.
You can also check if your water is exempt from the rules.
Steps to get registered to produce bottled drinking water
- Apply to register your business for bottled drinking water with the local authority in the area the water is extracted from.
- Carry out tests on your bottled drinking water - it must comply with limits for chemical, microbiological and radioactive substances.
- Follow the rules on labelling for bottled drinking water.
The local authority will:
- check you’ve complied with all the rules
- register your business and premises for bottled drinking water
- let you know in writing when you can start producing and marketing your bottled drinking water
Tests you need to carry out on the water
You must test your bottled drinking water and make sure it complies with:
You need to use a UKAS-approved laboratory, which uses recognised methods to test the water.
Initial and ongoing tests
Carry out initial testing and keep records of the results - you’ll need to show these to the local authority. Take as many samples as you need to be sure your water complies with the rules.
After initial testing, you must carry out further testing regularly. Discuss how often with the local authority you’re dealing with. This can vary depending on, for example, how much bottled drinking water you produce.
For both initial and ongoing testing, you do not need to send samples of the water to the local authority. They’ll carry out their own tests at your bottling plant.
Chemical limits
Test your water to make sure it complies with the following limits.
For your initial testing, take samples at source.
| Chemical | Maximum limit | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Antimony | 5 micrograms per litre | |
| Arsenic | 10 micrograms per litre | |
| Benzene | 1 microgram per litre | |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | 0.01 micrograms per litre | |
| Boron | 1 milligram per litre | |
| Bromate (Br03L) | 10 micrograms per litre | |
| Cadmium | 5 micrograms per litre | |
| Chromium | 50 micrograms per litre | |
| Cadmium | 5 micrograms per litre | |
| Copper | 2 milligrams per litre | |
| Cyanide (CN) | 50 micrograms per litre | |
| 1,2-dichloroethane | 3 micrograms per litre | |
| Fluoride | 1.5 milligrams per litre | |
| Lead | 10 micrograms per litre | |
| Mercury | 1 microgram per litre | |
| Nickel | 20 micrograms per litre | |
| Nitrate (NO3) | 50 milligrams per litre | You also need to divide concentration of nitrate in milligrams per litre by 50. Add this to the concentration of nitrite in milligrams per litre. Divide it by 3 - it must not be more than 1. |
| Nitrite (NO2) | 0.5 milligrams per litre | You also need to divide concentration of nitrate in milligrams per litre by 50. Add this to the concentration of nitrite in milligrams per litre. Divide it by 3 - it must not be more than 1. |
| Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons | 0.1 micrograms per litre | This means the total of all individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found and measured during your testing should not be more than 0.10 micrograms per litre |
| Selenium | 10 micrograms per litre | |
| Tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene | 10 micrograms per litre | This means the total of tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene combined should not be more than 10 micrograms per litre |
| Trichloromethanes | 100 micrograms per litre | This means the total of all individual trichloromethanes should not be more than 100 micrograms per litre |
Chemical limits: special conditions for acrylamide, epichlorohydrin and vinyl chloride
Your water must not contain more than the maximum limits for these 3 chemicals.
| Chemical | Maximum limit |
|---|---|
| Acrylamide | 0.1 micrograms per litre |
| Epichlorohydrin | 0.1 micrograms per litre |
| Vinyl chloride | 0.5 micrograms per litre |
If there’s any risk of the water exceeding these limits, you must sample and test the water. However, you do not need to test the the water if you and the local authority are satisfied that:
- your water has not come into contact with equipment made using acrylamide, epichlorohydrin and vinyl chloride
- you’ve not used any flocculants containing these 3 chemicals
You can demonstrate to the local authority that your water does not contain residues of these chemicals over the limits by providing either a manufacturer’s:
- relevant certificate of conformity
- declaration of conformity
- declaration of performance
Chemical limits: pesticides
Test your water to make sure it complies with the following limits.
For your initial testing, take samples at source.
| Pesticide | Maximum limit | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Aldrin | 0.03 micrograms per litre | |
| Dieldrin | 0.03 micrograms per litre | |
| Heptachlor | 0.03 micrograms per litre | |
| Heptachlor epoxide | 0.03 micrograms per litre | |
| Other individual pesticides | 0.1 micrograms per litre | You only need to test for pesticides that are likely to be present in the water. The maximum of 0.1 micrograms per litre applies to each individual pesticide you test for. |
| Total pesticides | 0.5 micrograms per litre | Total of all pesticides you find should not equal more than 0.5 micrograms per litre |
Microbiological limits
Your water must be free of parasites and bacteria that cause disease.
Test your water to make sure it complies with the following limits.
For your initial testing, take samples at source.
| Bacteria | Maximum limit |
|---|---|
| Escherichia coli | 0 per 250 ml |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 0 per 250 ml |
| Faecal streptococci | 0 per 250 ml |
| Sporulated sulphite-reducing anaerobes | 0 per 50 ml |
| Total viable colony count (TVC) after 72 hours at 22ºC | 100 per ml |
| TVC after 24 hours at 37ºC | 20 per ml |
Radioactive limits
Test your water to make sure it complies with the following limits.
For your initial testing, take samples at source.
| Test for | Concentration or value |
|---|---|
| Radon | 100 becquerels per litre |
| Tritium | 100 becquerels per litre |
| Indicative dose | 0.1 millisievert (a year) |
Labelling rules
You should put one of the following terms on your labelling:
- ‘water’
- ‘drinking water’
You must not use any of these terms:
- natural mineral water
- mineral water
- spring water
Brand names
You can give your water a brand name.
However, you must not mislead consumers about your water’s origin when you use branding. For example, you must not call it ‘Somerset Hills water’ when the water comes from Devon.
You also must not suggest the water has properties that it does not possess. For example, you must not call it ‘Welsh Mountain Water’ when you’re collecting the water from a reservoir.
When you’re allowed to start producing and marketing your bottled drinking water
The local authority will:
- check your testing records
- make sure you’ve understood and complied with all the rules
When they’re satisfied that your bottled drinking water meets the rules, they’ll register your business and confirm it in writing.
Once you’ve received this, you can start to produce and market your bottled drinking water.