Bottled water is most commonly sold in glass bottles or disposable plastic bottles. Bottled water also comes in various sizes from single servings to large carboys of varying capacities. Individual consumption of water differs from person to person depending on the climate, physical activity and nature of work. But for a grown up adult, the consumption is estimated to be about two liters per day and one liter per day for a child.

Drinking-water is susceptible to contamination by the presence of a range of chemical, microbial and physical hazards that could pose risks to health. Examples of chemical hazards include lead, arsenic and benzene. Microbial hazards include bacteria, viruses and parasites, and physical hazards include glass chips and metal fragments. Because of the large number of possible hazards in drinking-water, there are guidance books available explaining the standards for drinking-water.

It is a fact that some substances may prove more difficult to manage in bottled water than in tap water. This is because bottled water is stored for longer periods of time and at higher temperatures than water in piped distribution systems. Materials used in containers and closures for bottled waters should therefore receive our attention. Further, some micro-organisms, which are normally of little or no public health consequence, may grow to higher levels in bottled waters. With regard to infants, if bottled water is not sterile, it should be disinfected - for example, by boiling for one minute prior to its use.

There have been instances of fraud in which ordinary tap water is filled in used mineral water bottles and sold as original products. Consumers may not be able to detect this by taste alone and should therefore carefully examine the sealed closures of all bottled waters before purchase and also insist on seeing bottles opened in their presence at restaurants and other food outlets.

Many consumers rightly believe that natural mineral waters have medicinal properties that offer health benefits. Bottled waters are typically of high mineral content and, in most cases, significantly above the concentrations normally found in drinking-water. Such waters are often deemed as foods rather than drinking-water. Although certain mineral waters may be useful in providing essential micro-nutrients, such as calcium, WHO claims there is no convincing evidence to support the beneficial effects of consuming such mineral waters. Thus in some countries, bottled waters with very low mineral content, such as distilled or de-mineralized waters are offered for sale. Fortunately, bottled water and tap water are not the only choices and the ideal solution would be to bottle your own water, in reusable bottles, with the use of home water filtration units.