How do I know if bottled water is safe?

Bottled water is regulated by the Department of Consumer Protection as a food product. Many retail water bottlers publish water quality testing data, and while PFAS chemicals are not regulated in bottled water, many bottlers do test for it and include the information on their web pages. Some water bottlers use numerous sources and water quality may vary depending on the source location. If you are making your own purchasing decisions about bottled water, make sure that when you search for water quality data, you are viewing the data from the correct source.

Effective October 1, 2021; sections 86 and 87 of Public Act 21-121 require that bottlers collect samples prior to any water treatment and annually test each DPH approved bottled water source in Connecticut for unregulated contaminants such as PFAS chemicals. There are currently four Connecticut DPH-approved sources for bottled water located in the state of Connecticut, and these are the sources that bottlers would be required to sample and test. If the results of such sampling exceed Connecticut's PFAS drinking water AL, then DPH may require the bottler to discontinue use of the source until it is rendered safe to drink.

Bottled water delivered to homes in conjunction with a DEEP investigation has been tested for PFAS per the contract DEEP has with its bottled water vendor.

Show All Answers

1. What are these chemicals and where do they come from?
2. What is the current Connecticut DPH drinking water Action Level for PFAS and how was it developed?
3. How do these chemicals get into drinking water?
4. There are thousands of PFAS chemicals. Why has CT only derived drinking water action levels for four of them?
5. If I have PFAS in my water, what precautions should I be taking for my pets, farm animals, home grown produce, and irrigation of my garden?
6. Can I remove PFAS by boiling my water?
7. I am a customer of a public water system. How can I find out if my water has been tested for PFAS?
8. How do I know if bottled water is safe?
9. How can PFAS affect my health?
10. Why have states set different acceptable levels for PFAS in drinking water?
11. Should I test my blood for PFAS?
12. How can I limit my overall exposure to PFAS?
13. I have a well, should I test the water for PFAS? How can I test my well for PFAS?
14. How does the State decide which wells are going to be tested for PFAS?
15. What happens if there are PFAS in my well?
16. Does the home water treatment system I have work to remove PFAS? What types of treatment address PFAS in drinking water?
17. What type of water treatment system will be installed if my PFAS levels exceed the Connecticut Action Levels? Who will maintain my treatment system, and how often?
18. CT DPH Contacts and Resources
19. External Resources