International Bottled Water Association | MEDIA STATEMENT | April 18, 2025
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and Bottled Water Update:
Results of recent shelf test by FDA show no products exceeded standards
Alexandria, VA —The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)released results of an analysis of 197 domestic and imported bottled water samples collected at retail locations across the U.S. between 2023 and 2024 for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The 197 samples included purified, artesian, spring, and mineral waters.
Ten of the samples analyzed by FDA had detectable levels of PFAS. However, none of those samples had PFAS levels that would have exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for PFAS in tap water, which are set to go into effect in April 2029. In addition, the levels for all PFAS detected were below the International Bottled Water Association’s (IBWA) Standard of Quality (SOQ) for PFAS. And none of the detected levels exceed any state bottled water regulation for PFAS.
Currently, FDA does not have a Standard of Quality for PFAS in bottled water (or any other food products). However, since 2019, IBWA members have been required to test their bottled water products annually for PFAS and comply with a Standard of Quality. That same year, IBWA asked FDA to establish an SOQ for PFAS in bottled water. FDA responded to IBWA’s request stating that “establishing an SOQ for PFAS in bottled water at this time would not significantly enhance FDA’s mission of public health protection.” This was based upon FDA’s testing and analysis of 30 different bottled water products, with none of them showing any detectable levels of PFAS.
In April 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which regulates tap water, set regulatory limits for six PFAS substances in tap water, which are set to go into effect in April 2029. The IBWA Board of Directors then approved a change to the IBWA Standard of Quality to incorporate the six PFAS compounds included in the EPA final PFAS rule and to continue monitoring and complying with the IBWA SOQ for an additional twelve unregulated PFAS compounds that are included in EPA Method 537.1. This revision to the IBWA Code of Practice took effect on January 1, 2025.
Section 410 of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) states that once EPA issues a national primary drinking water standard, FDA must issue an SOQ for bottled water not later than 180 days before the effective date of that regulation or make a finding that an SOQ is not necessary to protect the public health because the contaminant is contained in water in public water systems but not in bottled water. If FDA takes no action before the prescribed 180 days, the EPA standard becomes applicable to bottled water by operation of law.
IBWA’s PFAS actions underscore the commitment of IBWA members to always provide consumers with the safest and highest-quality bottled water products. Testing for PFAS provides consumers, local and state governments, and disaster and emergency relief personnel further assurance that bottled water is a safe and convenient product for everyday use and in times of need when tap water is compromised.
Background Information on PFAS
PFAS—per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances—are a group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS, GenX, and many other chemicals. There is evidence that exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse human health effects.
PFAS have been manufactured and used in a variety of industries around the globe, including in the United States, since the 1940s (not bottled water companies). PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both chemicals are very persistent in the environment and in the human body— meaning they don’t break down and can accumulate over time.
PFAS can be found in the following:
- Food packaged in PFAS-containing materials, processed with equipment that used PFAS, or grown in PFAS-contaminated soil or water.
- Commercial household products, including stain- and water-repellent fabrics, nonstick products (e.g., Teflon), polishes, waxes, paints, cleaning products, and fire-fighting foams (a major source of groundwater contamination at airports and military bases where firefighting training occurs).
- Workplaces that use PFAS, including production facilities or industries (e.g., chrome plating, electronics manufacturing, or oil recovery).
- Tap water, typically localized and associated with a specific facility (e.g., manufacturer, landfill, wastewater treatment plant, firefighter training facility).
- Living organisms, including fish, animals, and humans, where PFAS can build up and persist over time.
More information on FDA’s research and investigation of PFAS in foods and beverages is available here.
For more information about bottled water, visit IBWA’s website: bottledwater.org
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Media Contact:
Jill Culora
[email protected]
703-647-4609
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters, including spring, mineral, purified, artesian, and sparkling. Founded in 1958, IBWA’s membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors, and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, to set comprehensive and stringent standards for safe, high-quality bottled water products.
In addition to FDA regulations, IBWA member bottlers must adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is a mandatory annual plant inspection by an independent, third-party organization.
