Opinion | Is Packaged Drinking Water Really Safe?

What the label promises, where the risks lie and how to choose wisely before you pay for your next bottle

Walk into any shop, bus stand or tourist spot and you will see rows of bottled water. For millions of people, buying a bottle has become the default way to quench thirst. It feels clean, sealed and trustworthy. But a simple question keeps coming up in homes and offices: is packaged drinking water actually safe? The honest answer is that it can be, but it depends on who made it, how it was handled and how you use it.

Packaged water is not just tap water poured into a bottle. Reputed companies treat their source water in several steps. They filter out dirt and particles, remove harmful germs with methods like ultraviolet light or ozone, and often use reverse osmosis to take out dissolved impurities. The water is then filled in sealed bottles under controlled conditions. When all these steps are followed properly, the result is clean water that meets the standards set for drinking.

The trouble begins when the process is not followed. India has many small units that fill bottles, pouches and large jars. Some are well run. Others are not. Poor plant hygiene, dirty storage tanks, untested source water and skipped treatment steps can leave germs or chemicals in the final product. A few cases of fake bottles, refilled with ordinary water and sold under copied labels, have also been reported over the years. A bottle with a nice label is not a guarantee of anything.

This is the reason regulators have been paying closer attention. In late 2024, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India placed packaged drinking water and mineral water in its high-risk food category. Under this rule, manufacturers must face a risk-based inspection every year, and units with a central licence must also be audited every year by an agency recognised by the authority. This came soon after the government removed the earlier requirement of mandatory BIS certification for such water, so the extra checks were meant to keep safety standards from slipping.

That change matters for buyers. The BIS mark used to be a common sign that a brand had passed a standard test. Now the more important thing to look for is a valid FSSAI licence number printed on the label. If a bottle has no licence number, no batch number, no manufacturing date or no company address, it is better to leave it on the shelf. These details are the minimum a genuine product should carry.

Another worry that has grown in recent years is microplastics. These are extremely tiny pieces of plastic, and researchers around the world have found them in many things we eat and drink, including bottled water. Scientists are still studying what effect they may have on the human body, and there is no clear final answer yet. This does not mean you should panic. It does mean that bottled water is not automatically purer than every other source, and that plastic itself is part of the question.

How you store and use a bottle also changes its safety. A bottle left for hours in a hot car or in direct sunlight is not a good idea. Heat can affect the plastic, and a bottle that is opened and left around can pick up germs. Reusing a single-use bottle again and again is another common habit. These bottles are thin and hard to clean properly, and tiny scratches can hold bacteria. If you wish to carry water daily, a steel or good quality reusable bottle is a much better choice.

Large twenty-litre jars deserve a special mention. Many homes and offices depend on them, yet the supply chain is often informal. The jars may be washed poorly, refilled by unlicensed suppliers and stored in dusty corners. If you use them, buy from a supplier who can show a licence, ask how the jars are cleaned and keep the dispenser itself clean, because a dirty tap or stand can spoil good water.

Some people worry that reverse osmosis removes natural minerals. For most healthy people on a balanced diet, drinking water is a small source of minerals, so the bigger concern is whether the water is free from germs and harmful chemicals.

There is also a cost to consider, both for your pocket and for the planet. Bottled water is far more expensive per litre than water filtered at home. Millions of empty bottles end up in drains, rivers, lakes and mountain trails every year. In beautiful places that depend on tourism, plastic waste is a visible and growing problem. Choosing a safe home option, when you have one, helps both your budget and your surroundings.

So what is the practical answer? If you must buy packaged water, choose a known brand and check the seal, the date and the FSSAI licence number. Avoid bottles that look dented, have a loose cap or have been sitting in the sun at a roadside stall. Keep them in a cool, shaded place and finish them within a reasonable time after opening. In emergencies, travel or during floods, when the safety of local water is uncertain, a sealed bottle from a trusted source is a sensible choice.

For everyday use at home, a well maintained filter or simply boiled and cooled water is often just as safe and costs far less. Boiling kills most germs, and covering and storing it in a clean container keeps it that way. Families with infants, elderly members or people with weak immunity should be extra careful and prefer boiled or properly treated water. If your tap or well water has a known problem, get it tested instead of guessing.

In the end, packaged drinking water is neither a villain nor a perfect solution. It is a product, and like any product, quality varies from one maker to another. Rules and inspections are improving, but they cannot be everywhere at once. The buyer still has to read the label, trust only reliable sources and keep good habits. A little care before you drink can protect your health far better than any promise printed on a bottle.

Author can be reached at Email id: mdmuslimbhat@gmail.com