Natural mineral water: rules for local authorities
What local authorities must do to grant recognition for natural mineral water and carry out ongoing checks.
Applies to England
This guide is for local authorities in England who need to grant recognition of a natural mineral water spring in their area.
If you’re a producer, read guidance on producing natural mineral water
For local authorities in:
- Wales or Northern Ireland, you should read Food Standards Agency guidance.
- Scotland, contact Food Standards Scotland
What counts as natural mineral water
Water can only be recognised as natural mineral water if:
- it comes from an underground water source that’s tapped at a natural or drilled exit
- it’s free of parasites, and bacteria that cause disease
- the source has been protected from pollution
When tested, the water’s composition and mineral content must:
- keep its ‘original purity’ - this means its composition has stayed the same from source to bottling and has not been contaminated
- be stable (remain consistent) over a period of time when tested
Its mineral composition must be stated on the label and there are only 5 permitted treatments.
Check the different types of bottled water if you’re not sure which type you’re dealing with. You can also check what bottled water is exempt from the rules.
How to grant recognition for natural mineral water
Bottled water producers may contact you to get official recognition for water from a spring or borehole that sits in your local authority area.
You must officially recognise the water before the producer can bottle, market and sell it as natural mineral water. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will add it to a list of recognised natural mineral waters.
Follow these steps to grant recognition.
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Check the producer has got a water abstraction licence.
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Make sure the producer has gathered the evidence to prove the water is safe and stable. Defra advises that producers should gather data over a 2 year period.
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Make sure the producer knows the conditions they must meet when exploiting the spring.
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Check if the producer wants to use any of the 5 permitted treatments and, if so, they know the rules to follow. They’re not allowed to use any other treatments.
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Make sure the producer knows the rules for labelling.
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When you’ve made all the checks and are ready to grant recognition, put this in writing to both Defra and the producer.
If you need to refuse recognition, you should also put this in writing to Defra and the producer.
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After recognition, check and make sure the producer is complying with rules for exploiting the spring, treatments and labelling.
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If the producer’s premises are not yet registered as a food establishment with your local authority, tell them they must do so now.
Check the producer’s evidence for recognition
The producer should gather data over 2 years and send you evidence that their water meets the natural mineral water rules.
They’ll need to send you:
As a local authority, you do not need to collect samples of the water. You can rely on the laboratory reports that the producer sends to you.
But make sure that the producer has used a UKAS accredited laboratory that uses recognised scientific methods for testing natural mineral water.
The producer must take samples of the water at source.
Geological and hydrological surveys
The producer must send you geological and hydrological surveys. These will help you identify any contamination risks to the water source.
The producer’s surveys must show:
- the exact site of the catchment (area that captures the water) on a map to a scale of not more than 1:1000
- the altitude of the catchment
- the boundaries of the area surrounding the spring
- a detailed geological report on the origin and nature of the land
- the stratigraphy of the hydrogeological layer (a study of the different layers of rock to show the geological history)
The producer might also provide you with a description of all industry or other activities in the catchment area that could affect the water source, but they do not have to. For example:
- permitted sites (active and closed), for example, a chemical plant
- storage and disposal of waste
- general land uses
- nitrate vulnerable zones
- details of any measures to protect the spring against pollution
If you find any risk of contamination in these geological and hydrological surveys, then you must investigate the risks further.
If a risk cannot be removed, then:
- the water may not be fit for human consumption
- you may not be able to grant recognition for it as natural mineral water
Physical and chemical reports
The producer must carry out several physical and chemical tests and send the results to you in a report.
Physical and chemical reports: recording factors
The producer must provide monthly records from the past 2 years of the:
- rate of the spring’s flow
- temperature of the water at source
- ambient temperature
- dry residues at 180°C and 260°C (this indicates the total mineral content)
- electrical conductivity or resistivity (the water’s capacity to transfer electricity) - these should show the temperature of water when tested
Check that these factors are stable from month to month. This means they do not change more than 20% from the first time they were tested.
The producer must also show they’ve recorded the following once during the past 2 years (the period of gaining recognition):
- relationship between the nature of the land and the nature and type of minerals in the water
- radio-actinological properties at source (a study of the effect of light on chemicals)
- relative isotope levels of the constituent elements of water, oxygen (O-O 1816) and hydrogen (protium, deuterium, tritium) if they exist
These will help to demonstrate the properties of the water.
Physical and chemical reports: anions, cations, non-ionised compounds and trace elements
The producer must test for anions, cations, non-ionised compounds or trace elements to show what levels are in the water, and send these results to you in a report.
They must test these every 3 months during the period of getting recognition. Check these are stable - the levels must not change more than 20% from the first time they were tested.
| Type | What the producer must measure in milligrams per litre |
|---|---|
| Anions | Borate BO3- Carbonate CO32 Chloride Cl- Fluoride F- Hydrogen Carbonate HCO3- Nitrate NO3- Nitrite NO2- Phosphate PO BO43- Silicate SiO2 Sulphate SO42- Sulphide S2- |
| Cations | Aluminium A1 Ammonium NH4+ Calcium Ca Magnesium Mg Potassium K Sodium NA |
| Non-ionised compounds | Total organic carbon C Free carbon dioxide CO2 Silica SiO2 |
| Trace elements | Barium Ba Bromine (total) Br Cobalt Co Copper Cu Iodine (total) Iron Fe Lithium Li Manganese Mn Molybdenum Mo Strontium Sr Zinc Zn |
Physical and chemical reports: chemicals and minerals naturally present in the water at source
The producer must send you a report showing that they’ve recorded the levels of chemicals and minerals that are present in the water.
These should be naturally present and not as the result of contamination.
The producer should have monthly records of this test from the past 2 years (the period for getting recognition).
Check that these chemicals and minerals do not exceed the following maximum limits and are stable from month to month (they do not change more than 20% from the first time they were tested).
| Chemical | Maximum limit (milligrams per litre) |
|---|---|
| Antimony | 0.0050 |
| Arsenic (as total) | 0.010 |
| Barium | 1 |
| Cadmium | 0.003 |
| Chromium | 0.050 |
| Copper | 1.0 |
| Cyanide | 0.070 |
| Fluoride | 5.0 |
| Lead | 0.010 |
| Manganese | 0.50 |
| Mercury | 0.0010 |
| Nickel | 0.020 |
| Nitrate | 50 |
| Selenium | 0.010 |
If any chemicals or minerals persistently exceed the limit, the water cannot be recognised as natural mineral water.
Physical and chemical reports: chemicals artificially present in the water at source, as a result of human intervention
The producer should send you a report showing the levels of chemicals that have been artificially introduced into their water. They only need to test the water once at source and can do this towards the end of the period they’re gathering evidence.
Check that the artificial chemicals do not exceed the following limits.
| Chemicals | Maximum limits that Defra advises |
|---|---|
| Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) | 0.01 micrograms per litre for individual substances |
| Volatile organic compounds | 1.0 micrograms per litre for individual substances |
| Trihalomethanes (THMs) | 1 micrograms per litre for individual substances |
| Pesticides | 0.1 micrograms per litre for the total of all individual pesticides and their metabolites 0.03 micrograms per litre for aldrin, dieldrin, hepatchlor and heptachlore epoxide |
If the water exceeds any of the maximum limits, tell the producer to investigate the cause of the pollution and discuss measures to remove it.
If they cannot remove the pollution, the water cannot be recognised as natural mineral water.
Microbiological reports
The producer must send you reports covering parasites, bacteria and total viable colony counts in the water.
Microbiological reports: parasites
The producer must send you a report showing their water is free of parasites.
They should test for this every 6 months during the period for getting recognition.
Microbiological reports: bacteria that cause disease
The producer must send you a report to show an absence of the following bacteria in the testing conditions set out.
They should carry out these bacteria tests every 3 months during the period for getting recognition.
| Producer must show absence of these bacteria | Testing conditions |
|---|---|
| Escherichia coli | in 250ml at 37°C and 44.5°C |
| Other coliforms | in 250ml at 37°C and 44.5°C |
| Faecal streptococci | in 250ml at any temperature |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | in 250ml at any temperature |
| Sporulated sulphite-reducing anaerobes | in 50ml in any temperature |
Microbiological reports: total viable colony count
The producer must test the total viable colony counts (TVCs) every 3 months, both at source and after bottling.
Producers need to test the TVCs during the period to gather evidence for recognition and send you a report with the results. The TVCs are the total number of bacteria picked up by a test on the water.
Producers must collect samples within the first 12 hours after bottling. They need to keep the water at between -1°C and 4°C before sending it to the laboratory.
The TVC, after bottling, should not exceed the following maximum limits.
| Maximum limit | Testing conditions |
|---|---|
| 100 per millilitre | Test at 20 to 22°C in 72 hours on agar-agar or agar-gelatine mixture |
| 20 per millilitre | Test at 37°C in 24 hours on agar-agar |
Check that the TVC after bottling does not change by more than 20% from the TVC shown at the source.
Summary of physical, chemical and microbiological tests, and how often the producer must carry them out
Use this table to see how often the producer should carry out all tests during the period of getting recognition.
| Physio-chemical tests | How often |
|---|---|
| Rate of flow | Every month |
| Water temperature at source | Every month |
| Ambient temperature | Every month |
| Dry residues at 180°C and 260°C (this indicates the total mineral content) | Every month |
| Electrical conductivity (the water’s capacity to transfer electricity) | Every month |
| Anions, cations and non-ionised compounds | Every 3 months |
| Natural chemicals and minerals | Every month |
| Artificial chemicals | Once |
| Microbiological tests | How often |
|---|---|
| Absence of all parasites | Every 6 months |
| Absence of disease-causing bacteria such as E coli in certain testing conditions | Every 3 months |
| Total viable colony count | Every 3 months |
Check the producer understands the rules for exploiting a natural mineral water spring
Make sure the producer is aware of the rules they must follow once they’ve got recognition and start to exploit the spring.
Rules for protecting the water at source
The producer must make sure that:
- any equipment they’ll use to collect the water, such as a pump, preserves the properties of the water and avoids contamination
- the source or borehole is protected against pollution
- pipes and reservoirs are made to food-grade standards, suitable for water, and are built to prevent any chemical, physio-chemical or microbiological change to the water
Rules for bottling or using containers
The producer’s bottling plant must be based at the spring.
The producer must:
- meet hygiene requirements when they bottle the water
- bottle in containers with lids, to avoid tampering or contamination
- use containers that are made to food-grade standards to avoid adverse effects on the microbiological and chemical characteristics of the water
If the natural mineral water becomes polluted at any stage, the producer must stop bottling from the spring until they’ve removed the cause of the pollution.
Rules for transporting the water
Check that producers will transport their natural mineral water from their plant in bottles or containers that the final customer will use. They must not put the water into tankers.
The only exception to this is if, on or before 17 July 1980, they were transporting water from the spring to a bottling plant further away, in containers (tankers) not intended for the final customer. If they were, they can continue transporting using the same containers now.
Check and authorise treatments
Producers can use only 5 treatments to make their water:
- taste better, make it safer or remove unwanted elements
- comply with the rules to gain recognition
The 5 permitted treatments are:
- filtration or decanting
- removal of free carbon dioxide
- introducing or re-introducing carbon dioxide
- ozone-enriched air oxidation technique - you’ll need to authorise this
- activated alumina - you’ll need to authorise this
Any other treatments are not allowed.
They must list any of the 5 treatments they want to use when they send you their application for recognition.
If they decide at a later date they want to use one of these treatments, they must put this to you in writing, by email or letter.
Check that the producer understands the treatment rules to follow, listed in this section.
General treatment rules
Make sure the producer understands that, when they carry out any of the 5 treatments, they must not:
- accidentally disinfect the water as a side effect of the treatment
- add biostatic elements such as benzyl alcohol, which inhibit the growth of microorganisms, to alter the total viable colony count
Filtration or decanting
Producers can use filtration or decanting to separate unstable elements, like iron, manganese and sulphur in the water.
They can also use oxygenation before they start filtration, to help form unstable elements into flakes (known as flocculation).
They may want to carry out these methods to either:
- reduce the levels of iron, manganese and sulphur in the water
- prevent unsightly sediments forming in the bottles during storage
They’re allowed to carry out filtration, decanting or flocculation as long as they do not alter the mineral and chemical composition of the water (with the exception of iron, manganese or sulphur).
They must not allow this treatment to change the total viable colony count of the water.
The producer can check if this is likely to happen by comparing the total viable colony count before filtration and after, to decide if filtration has had a disinfectant effect on the water.
If it has, then they cannot use the treatment in the way they’ve approached it. They’ll need to try again in a different way.
Removal of free carbon dioxide
The producer must only use physical methods to remove free carbon dioxide. They must not use chemical methods.
Making carbonated or sparkling water by adding carbon dioxide
The producer can only make carbonated or sparkling natural mineral water by adding or re-adding carbon dioxide. They must not use any other type of gas to do this.
Ozone-enriched air oxidation
Producers can use ozone-enriched air oxidation to separate compounds of iron, manganese, sulphur and arsenic from water when they occur naturally at source.
They can only use this treatment if all the following apply:
- before they start, they’ve met the rules for exploiting the spring
- the treatment does not have an accidental disinfectant effect
- the treatment does not alter the physio-chemical composition of the water in terms of its minerals, chemicals and microbes (other than iron, sulphur and manganese)
- it does not leave residues in the water that could pose a risk to public health
Check that any residues caused by this treatment do not exceed the levels set out in this table.
| Treatment residue | Maximum limit |
|---|---|
| Dissolved ozone | 50 milligrams per litre |
| Bromate | 3 milligrams per litre |
| Bromoform | 1 milligram per litre |
You must officially authorise the producer to use this treatment.
You should examine:
- the producer’s method of treatment
- proposed place of treatment
- laboratory results of tests on the water
You can authorise the treatment if you’re satisfied that:
- it’s justified due to the composition of the water at source
- the producer has taken any measures needed to make the treatment safe and effective
- they’ve complied with the treatment rules
Put authorisation in writing to the producer with the date the authorisation starts.
If you refuse to authorise a treatment, you must tell the producer in writing, stating your reasons.
Authorised activated alumina treatment
Producers can only treat the water with activated alumina if they’re trying to remove fluoride. They must follow technical requirements.
Any residues released into the water as a result of removing fluoride must be as low as technically possible and should not pose a risk to public health.
You must officially authorise the producer to use this treatment. You’ll need to give permission at least 3 months before they start.
First, examine:
- the producer’s treatment method
- proposed place of treatment
- laboratory results of tests on the water
You can authorise an activated alumina treatment if you’re satisfied that:
- the treatment is justified due to the composition of the water at source
- the producer has taken any measures needed to make the treatment safe and effective
- they’ve complied with the treatment rules
Put authorisation in writing to the producer with the date the authorisation starts.
If you refuse to authorise a treatment, you must tell the producer in writing, stating your reasons.
How to withdraw authorisation for a treatment
If you’ve previously authorised a treatment and believe the producer is no longer meeting conditions for authorisation, you can withdraw this by sending them a written notice stating your reasons.
Rules for labelling
Before you grant recognition, check the producer understands the rules for labelling.
The producer must put the following on their labelling:
- type of product (sales description) - ‘natural mineral water’
- name of spring and place where the water is exploited
- composition
- fluoride content, if it exceeds 1.5 milligrams per litre
- removal of free carbon dioxide, if they’ve used this treatment
- ozone-enriched air treatment, if they’ve used this treatment
They can also put the following if they want to:
- trade description (also known as the brand name)
- health claims
- mineral content
Type of product (sales description)
The words ‘natural mineral water’ must appear on the labelling. This describes the product and is known as the ‘sales description’.
The producer cannot sell it as any other type of water, such as spring water.
If the producer is making carbonated or sparkling natural mineral waters, they must use slightly different sales descriptions set out here.
| Sales description | Criteria |
|---|---|
| ‘naturally carbonated natural mineral water’ | Water with a carbon dioxide content that’s the same after bottling as it was at source. Producers must reintroduce carbon dioxide from the same spring, and to the same level as it occurs naturally at source. They cannot add any more. |
| ‘natural mineral water fortified with gas from the spring’ | Water with a carbon dioxide content that’s higher after bottling than it was at source. Producers must reintroduce carbon dioxide from the same spring but can add more than occured naturally at source. |
| ‘carbonated natural mineral water’ | Water which contains added carbon dioxide from any other source (and not from the original source). |
They can also add the word ‘sparkling’ to any of these 3 products, if they want to. But this must be in addition to the word ‘carbonated’, not instead of.
Name of spring and place where spring is exploited
On the label, the producer must put the name of the:
- spring - if the spring does not have a name, they must give it one
- place where the spring is exploited - for example, they could use the town or village name, and ideally add the full postcode
Composition box
The producer must put a statement of composition on the label, showing the chemical and mineral contents of the water.
Fluoride
If there’s more than 1.5 milligrams per litre of fluoride in the water, the producer must state on the label:
‘contains more than 1.5 mg/l of fluoride: not suitable for regular consumption by infants and children under 7 years of age’.
They must put this:
- in clearly visible characters
- close to the trade description, if they have one
They must also put the fluoride content in the composition box.
Elimination of free carbon dioxide
If the producer has treated their natural mineral water to totally or partially eliminate free carbon dioxide, they must put on the label either:
- ‘fully de-carbonated’
- ‘partially de-carbonated’
Ozone-enriched air oxidation technique
If the producer has treated their natural mineral water with ozone-enriched air oxidation technique, the label must contain these words:
‘water subjected to an authorised ozone-enriched air oxidation technique’
This must be placed close to the composition box on the label.
Any other treatments
The producer does not need to list any wording on the label if they’ve used any of these 3 treatments:
- filtration or decanting
- introduction or re-introduction of carbon dioxide
- activated alumina
Trade description (optional)
The ‘trade description’ is also known as the brand name.
Some examples are Buxton, Celtic Vale or Hildon.
The producer does not have to have a trade description for their natural mineral water.
But if they choose to have one, they must follow the trade description rules set out in this section.
Using the town or place as a trade description (brand name)
The producer can use the town or place as the trade description as long as the spring is located there.
They must not use a misleading place as their trade description. For example, they cannot name their water after a town in Somerset if their spring is in Devon.
If they use the town or place as their trade description then they must put the name of the spring elsewhere on the label.
And if they use the name of the spring as their trade description, then they must put the town or place elsewhere on the label.
Using a trade description (brand name) that’s different from the name of the spring and place of exploitation
If producers want to do this, they must make the font for the name of the spring and place at least one and a half times the height and width of the largest of the letters used for their trade description.
Producers cannot have more than one trade description (brand name)
The producer must sell all natural mineral water from the same spring using only one trade description. They cannot sell it under a second name.
For example, if they already sell ‘ABC Natural Mineral Water’ they’re not allowed to sell a new batch from the same spring using the name ‘DEF Natural Mineral Water’.
The only exception is if they want to sell their water to a retailer who will add their own branding to the labels, such as a supermarket, hotel, stadium, museum, venue or cafe.
The best practice way to do this is for the producer to sell the water with both the:
- producer’s own trade description
- retailer’s own logo
If they do this, the retailer’s logo does not count as a second brand.
Alternatively, they can choose to not have their own trade description, remove their own logo and sell the water with the retailer’s logo instead. They can do this as long as the retailer’s logo is clearly separate from the sales description ‘natural mineral water’.
Health claims (optional)
Producers are allowed to use certain human health claims on their labels.
They can use one or more of the following:
- ‘may be diuretic’
- ‘may be laxative’
- ‘stimulates digestion’
- ‘may facilitate the hepato-biliary functions’
They cannot make any other human health claims.
They must carry out scientific studies to show their claims are true. To do this, they must:
- use scientifically recognised methods
- prove a substantial number of clinical observations demonstrate the same results over a period of time
Mineral content (optional)
For mineral content, the producer can use the following wording on their labels, if their water meets the criteria.
| Wording for label | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Low mineral content | Mineral salt content, calculated as a fixed residue, is 500 milligrams per litre or less |
| Very low mineral content | Mineral salt content, calculated as a fixed residue, is 50 milligrams per litre or less |
| Rich in mineral salts | Mineral salt content, calculated as a fixed residue, is 1500 milligrams per litre or more |
| Contains bicarbonate | Bicarbonate content is 600 milligrams per litre or more |
| Contains sulphate | Sulphate content is 200 milligrams per litre or more |
| Contains chloride | Chloride content is 200 milligrams per litre or more |
| Contains calcium | Calcium content is 150 milligrams per litre or more |
| Contains magnesium | Magnesium content greater than 50 milligrams per litre |
| Contains fluoride | Fluoride content is 1 milligrams per litre or more |
| Contains iron | Bivalent iron content is 1 milligrams per litre or more |
| Acidic | Free carbon dioxide content is 250 milligrams per litre or more |
| Contains sodium | Sodium content is 200 milligrams per litre or more |
| Suitable for a low-sodium diet | Sodium content is 20 milligrams per litre or less |
Natural mineral water as an ingredient in soft drinks
The producer can list the term ‘natural mineral water’ as an ingredient on labelling if they’re producing soft drinks.
However, they can only do this if their water complies with the natural mineral water rules in this guide, at the point they add the first extra ingredient, such as syrup, to their natural mineral water.
How to grant or refuse recognition
After you receive an application for recognition, you must:
- decide whether the water meets the conditions to be recognised as a natural mineral water
- grant or refuse recognition
If you grant recognition
You must notify the producer and Defra in writing as soon as you grant recognition.
You can notify Defra by emailing bottled.water@defra.gov.uk .
You also need to publish in the London Gazette:
- an announcement of the recognition
- the grounds on which it has been granted
Use the .
If you refuse to grant recognition
You must notify the producer in writing as soon as you refuse recognition.
The producer can appeal to Defra who will review the case and either:
- confirm your decision to refuse was correct
- tell you to grant or restore recognition
- grant or restore the recognition itself
Ongoing checks after you’ve granted recognition
You must check at least once a year that:
- the water’s composition, temperature and other characteristics remain stable and are not affected or changed by the rate of flow
- the producer is following hygiene rules for their bottling operations
- tests are being carried out correctly
- the producer is complying with the rules for exploiting the spring
- they’re following rules for any treatments they’re using
- the labelling correctly describes the water and meets the rules
Tests after recognition
The law does not set out how often the producer must carry out tests after recognition. So you should carry out your own risk assessments to decide how often the producer must test.
The producer must also design and implement Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) based procedures for the safety of the water .
With these tests and checks in place, you can both make sure the water continues to comply with the rules.
Chemical and mineral tests
The producer must test the water to show it does not exceed the maximum levels for chemicals and minerals that are naturally present in the water.
Decide how often they should test for these, based on your risk assessment of the water.
| Chemical | Maximum limit (milligrams per litre) |
|---|---|
| Antimony | 0.005 |
| Arsenic (as total) | 0.01 |
| Barium | 1.0 |
| Cadmium | 0.003 |
| Chromium | 0.05 |
| Copper | 1 |
| Cyanide | 0.07 |
| Fluoride | 5 |
| Lead | 0.01 |
| Manganese | 0.5 |
| Mercury | 0.001 |
| Nickel | 0.02 |
| Nitrate | 5 |
| Nitrite | 0.1 |
| Selenium | 0.01 |
Check that the test results do not change more than 20% from the first time they were tested.
Parasites
The producer must continue to show the water is free of parasites.
Decide how often they should test for these, based on your risk assessment of the water.
Bacteria that cause disease
The producer should also continue to test the water to show that it’s free of the following bacteria, in the testing conditions set out.
| Producer must show absence of these bacteria | Testing conditions |
|---|---|
| Escherichia coli | in 250ml at 37°C and 44.5°C |
| Other coliforms | in 250ml at 37°C and 44.5°C |
| Faecal streptococci | in 250ml at any temperature |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | In 250ml at any temperature |
| Sporulated sulphite-reducing anaerobes | in 50ml in any temperature |
Decide how often they should test for these, based on your risk assessment of the water.
Total viable colony count
The producer must continue to test the total viable colony counts. This means the total number of bacteria picked up by a test.
The TVC should not exceed the following maximum limits.
| Maximum limit | Testing conditions |
|---|---|
| 100 per millilitre | Test at 20 to 22°C in 72 hours on agar-agar or agar-gelatine mixture |
| 20 per millilitre | Test at 37°C in 24 hours on agar-agar |
The total colony count must be measured within 12 hours after bottling. The water must be kept at between - 1 °C and 4°C before it’s measured.
Check that the test results do not change more than 20% from the first time they were tested.
Decide how often they should test for these, based on your risk assessment of the water.
How to withdraw recognition
If you decide that a producer is no longer complying with the rules, you can withdraw recognition for the natural mineral water until the producer meets the rules again.
For example, you may want to withdraw recognition because:
- the producer has stopped bottling and ceased trading
- the producer has stopped monitoring the water and can no longer show they’re complying with the rules
- there’s any other incident that means that the producer is not complying with the rules
You must tell Defra immediately if you’re withdrawing a recognition by emailing bottled.water@defra.gov.uk.
How the producer can appeal a withdrawal of recognition
A producer can appeal to Defra for a review of your decision to withdraw recognition.
Defra will review the case and will either:
- confirm your local authority’s decision was correct
- tell you to grant or restore recognition
If a producer asks for their recognition to be withdrawn
A producer can ask you to withdraw their recognition, for example, if they wish to stop producing natural mineral water.
You’ll need to confirm the derecognition in writing to them and tell Defra by emailing bottled.water@defra.gov.uk that their source is no longer recognised.
If the producer has stopped producing bottled natural mineral water but is continuing to monitor physio-chemicals levels to maintain recognition
You can decide to keep the recognition active but you must email Defra at bottled.water@defra.gov.uk, so they can update the list of recognised sources and display the listing as ‘No production at present’.
Before the producer can start bottling the natural mineral water again, their monitoring must show the water meets the rules set out for recognition.
The producer must tell you if:
- there’s been any significant changes to the composition of the water
- they’ve made any change to the trade description of the water
If the water has changed, you must decide whether either:
- the producer can start to exploit the spring again immediately
- you’ll derecognise the water temporarily but will grant recognition again after a further period of assessment
Tell Defra about other changes
You must notify Defra by emailing bottled.water@defra.gov.uk immediately if:
- you reinstate recognition
- there’s any change to the trade description of a natural mineral water
- there’s a change to the name of a spring from which natural mineral water has been extracted
If a producer wants to use a natural mineral water source for spring water or bottled drinking water
If the water is recognised as a natural mineral water but the producer wants to change this and trade as spring or bottled drinking water instead, they’ll need to get approval from you first.
Read separate rules on what local authorities must do to approve:
You’ll also need to withdraw the natural mineral water recognition.
Updates to this page
Last updated 13 November 2020 + show all updates
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New guidance on testing the total viable colony count.
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First published.