I was asked quite recently by a reader if I knew the differences between bottles and tap water in the UK. having worked on aspects of the water regulations over a number of years, I realised that since 2009, that legislation has indeed been brought upto date, including amendments and consolidations. Below is as short a summary as feasible of the differences. I would naturally be interested to know if my interpretation coincides with yours as a reader and whether I’m as upto date as I believe I am for the UK !
Fundamentally, tap water literally means sourced from the tap although the public water supply is a much better description of provenance. A general description for a bottled water is “a closed container of any kind in which water is sold for human consumption or from which water sold for human consumption is derived”. Nothing simpler than that, however the distinctions for bottled water become more complex. Bottled water covers three categories, natural mineral water, spring water, table water whilst tap water is a single category. In the UK for example, all waters have their own set of regulations whereby the bottled water categories are defined in the Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and Bottled Drinking Water Regulations 2007 (Statutory Instrument [SI] No. 2785) with a further amendment in 2009 ([SI] No. 1598). These regulations were implemented from a number of EU directives such as 98/83/EC, 2003/40/EC and 2009/54/EC. Only waters meeting these specifications within these particular regulations may use one of these terms. More specific definitions apply to Natural Mineral water and to Spring Water under these regulations too. Tap water must comply with two regulations, the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations (2010) and the Private Water Supplies Regulations (2010), and which cover amendments of the previous regulations of 2000.
– Natural mineral water (NMW) is the statutory name for a very specific type of water which must be registered in the UK with the Food Standards Authority. In the UK, it is recognised officially by a local authority after its qualifying period of two years during which it is repeatedly analysed to meet the regulations on the stability and consistency of the mineral composition, and to meet chemical and microbial limits. The analysis covers not only the source but the equipment used in extracting or ‘exploiting it’. It must be obtained from a specified ground water source, usually springs and occasionally from wells and boreholes. All must meet stringent pollution guidelines and essentially be free of it. It cannot be treated in any way to alter its original chemical and microbiological composition although provision is made for ozone enriched air treatment. To emphasise its source characteristics, information must be provided on the label of its typical mineral analysis.
Spring water (SW) is a statutory name for water coming from a single unpolluted source. It must be a subterranean source and like natural mineral water (NMW) is bottled directly at the spring site. Unlike natural mineral water, it does not have to show demonstrable benefits to health, nor does it need to contain any specific and consistent amounts of minerals. Likewise, no official approval or recognition need be given as with NMW but it must be registered with the local authority. Unlike NMWs, Spring Waters may undergo permitted treatments, but like NMWs must meet defined chemical and microbiological criteria. There can be no contamination from equipment used for exploitation and the source must be protected from risk of pollution. All Spring Waters must comply with the Drinking Water Regulations.
Bottled Drinking water (BDW) is the trade name applied to waters other than tap, and includes the Table Waters (TW) and artesian sources. By regulation, it applies to water which may come from more than one source, be from bothnatural origins or a mix of defined waters, and may even include tap. It is not clear how much table water come from municipal sources. It is certainly not ‘flavoured water’. Treatment is permitted which results in the water achieving the compositional and microbiological requirements defined in the regulations. It can be bottled anywhere as it need not be sourced from a defined spring. Some companies may also add mineral salts to their waters to replace those minerals lost during treatments or to enhance those which already exist. . It is most popularly used in bulk containers, as in water dispensers. Unlike mineral water, it needs no official approval.
Finally, tap water is not really as natural a product as is believed. Unlike mineral water that is sourced from subterranean locations, tap water is actually sourced from both ground and surface water and the quality of which varies with the region of the country. It’s quite common to hear people discussing how hard their water is. Depending on how clean the raw water is, it is treated and purified by public utilities but is still rigorously controlled.
There is available a great deal of guidance on the distinctions and categories which I’ve summarised as general references. These cover the UK below. It’s worth saying there is much more detail to be obtained by careful reading of both the regulations and the corresponding government web-sites.
General Reference
http://www.food.gov.uk/consultations/consultwales/2008/naturalspringbottledwater
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/991/contents/made covers the water Supply regulations including the Private Water Supply Regulations.
The act is covered in:- http://dwi.defra.gov.uk/stakeholders/legislation/wsr2010.pdf
The site for the drinking water EU Directive 98/83/EC and I noticed the menu covers all the other relevant regulations.
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-drink/index_en.html
European Communities (2007) Natural mineral waters, spring waters and other waters in bottles or containers. str.I. br. 225
European Communities (2007) Drinking water. (No. 2) Regulations, S.I. No. 278
Hi.
I’ve read your article. Tap water’s main advantages are availability, cost (it’s more or less free of cost) and fact that it’s environment friendly (no transport, no plastic bottle producing, no distribution, no water). Disadvantage: it contains chemicals that provide drinkability. So it can be genotoxic, the level of it can increase with old or bad pipes etc.
On the other hand all types of water (even natural spring and mineral) contain chemical substances which despite very low levels harm human’s health. So reducing the level of genotoxic materials is essential.
You might want to check unique bottle available in UK now, called Flaska. This glass bottle is programmed meaning that the information imprinted into the glass changes water’s structure and surface tension and thus lowers genotoxicity.
Kind regards!