See the list of certified bottled water brands

The U.S.Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) product definition for bottled water is water that is sold for human consumption in sanitary containers and contains no added sweeteners or chemical additives . It must be calorie-free and sugar-free. Flavors, extracts or essences may be added to drinking water, but they must comprise less than one-percent-by-weight of the final product. Some bottled waters contain natural or added carbonation.
While the term bottled water is widely used, the term packaged water is perhaps more accurate. Water sold in countries for consumption can come in cans, laminated boxes and even plastic bags. However, bottled water is most commonly sold in glass or disposable plastic bottles. Bottled water also comes in various sizes from single servings to large carbouys holding up to 80 liters. 
Bottled water containing not less than 250 parts per million total dissolved solids may be labeled as mineral water. Mineral water is distinguished from other types of bottled water by its constant level and relative proportions of mineral and trace elements at the point of emergence from the source. No minerals can be added to this product.
Water that has been produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or other suitable processes may be labeled as purified bottled water. 

[Top]

If bottled-water is not produced under certified methods of quality control, may be contaminated by a range of chemical, microbial and physical hazards that could pose risks to health if they are present at high levels. Examples of chemical hazards include lead, arsenic and benzene. Microbial hazards, include bacteria, viruses and parasites, such as Vibrio cholerae, hepatitis A virus, and Crytosporidium parvum, respectively. Physical hazards include glass chips and metal fragments.

[Top]

Because of the large number of possible hazards in bottled-water, the development of standards requires significant resources and expertise, which many countries are unable to afford. Fortunately, guidance is available at the international level.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bottled water that meets the standards set by the U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has never been responsible for an outbreak of waterborne illness. To ensure that bottled water is as safe as possible the producers must use one or more of the following practices: source protection and monitoring, reverse osmosis, distillation, filtration, ozonation and disinfection.
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), has set standards, contained in the IBWA "Model Code," that exceed the FDA regulations currently in place for bottled water.
The intergovernmental body for the development of internationally recognized standards for food is the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). WHO, one of the co-sponsors of the CAC, has advocated the use of the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality as the basis for derivation of standards for all bottled waters.
The CAC has developed a Codex Standard for Natural Mineral Waters and an associated code of practice. The Codex Standard describes the product and its labeling, compositional and quality factors, including limits for certain chemicals, hygiene, packaging and labeling. The Codex Code of Practice for Collecting, Processing and Marketing of Natural Mineral Waters provides guidance to the industry on a range of good manufacturing practices matters. While CAC standards and recommendations are not strictly mandatory, Codex health and safety requirements are recognized by the World Trade Organization as representing the international consensus for consumer protection and any deviation from Codex recommendations may require a scientifically-based justification.

[Top]

International bottler members of IBWA that sell products with "IBWA label" must submit a certificate of inspection to IBWA.As a condition of membership, bottlers must submit to an annual, unannounced plant inspection administered by an independent, internationally recognized third-party inspection organization.
Another well know and trustful certifier of bottled water is the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF). NSF Certification means that a credible, objective, independent third-party, widely recognized by public health officials, has actually tested and verified that bottled water complies with specific standards. NSF maintains policies that establish additional requirements that a company must comply with to maintain NSF Certification and authorization to place the NSF Mark on products. These include initial and periodic testing and/or evaluation, and annual unannounced inspections. Bottlers meeting all requirements are authorized to use the NSF Listing Mark and are included in the published Listing Book.
All European producers of bottled water must meet strict standards set by the European Union and also, if they export their production to the U.S., they have to meet the federal and state standards.
So you can trust that a bottled water with the IBWA or NSF label or a well known European brand is safe for drinking.
Of course , there are another brands in many countries that are safe, but unfortunately there are also reports of companies bottling unsafe tap water and selling it as bottled water. Consumers may not be able to detect this by taste alone and, if concern is warranted, should examine the closures of bottled waters carefully before purchase and insist on seeing bottles opened in their presence in restaurants and other food and beverage service establishments. So is safer to drink only certified bottled water that is in a container with a tight seal.

You can search at:

[Top]