Bottled Water: Definitions

Antimony

A potentially toxic trace element with chemical properties similar to those of arsenic that has been found to leach from bottles made of PET plastic.

Arsenic

A highly poisonous metallic element sometimes found in bottled water.

Benzene

A toxic substance emitted when PET resin is manufactured into plastic bottles. Benzene can cause drowsiness, dizziness, and unconsciousness. Long-term exposure can cause anemia, leukemia, and bone marrow problems.

Bioaccumulate

Process whereby harmful substances accumulate as they move up the food chain

Bottle Bill

A legislative bill that requires the charging of a refundable deposit on certain beverage bottles and cans, to encourage the return of these containers for recycling while at the same time reducing littering.

Bottled water

Drinking water that is put into bottles and offered for sale.

Bottle-less water dispenser

A dispenser that connects directly to a main municipal water supply line and dispenses tap water as opposed to bottled water (this includes water fountains as well as dispensers with built-in tanks that hold pre-chilled or pre-heated water).

Bulk bottle

Bottles that contain multiple gallons of water (the most common is a 5-gallon bottle).

Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)

An annual report of an area's drinking water quality that the EPA mandates water suppliers to send to customers.

Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP)

Part of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act which establishes processing and bottling regulations for beverages.

Chlorine

A toxin emitted when plastic bottles are incinerated that can be highly irritating to the respiratory organs.

Community water system

Public water system that has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents (EPA, 2006a).

Dioxins

Chemical compounds classified as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBTs) by the EPA.

E. Coli

A bacteria sometimes found in bottled water which can be pathogenic and a threat to food safety.

End-of-life management

Process by which products are reused, recycled, remanufactured, or disposed of after their term of useful service expires.

Environmentally preferable

Products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared to other products and services that serve the same purpose.

Ethylbenzene

A toxic substance emitted when PET resin is manufactured into plastic bottles. Short term exposure can cause drowsiness, fatigue, headache, and mild eye and respiratory irritation. Long term exposure is linked to damage to the liver, kidneys, central nervous system and eyes.

Ethylene oxide

A toxic substance emitted when PET resin is manufactured into plastic bottles. Acute exposures may result in respiratory irritation and lung injury, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, and cyanosis. Chronic exposure has been associated with the occurrence of cancer, reproductive effects, mutagenic changes, neurotoxicity, and sensitization.

Greenhouse gas

Heat-trapping gas in the Earth’s atmosphere responsible for global warming; category includes water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, CFCs, and nitrogen oxides.

Hazardous substance

1. material posing a threat to human health and/or the environment, that can be toxic, corrosive, ignitable, explosive, or chemically reactive, 2. substance that must be reported to the EPA if released into the environment.

Hazardous waste

Hazardous by-products that can pose a hazard to human health or the environment when improperly managed.

Heavy metals

Toxic substances deposited into the ash created when plastic bottles are incinerated.

Lead

Metal used in older plumbing infrastructure (i.e. pipes) that can contaminate water supplies and cause blood and brain disorders as well as damage to the nervous system.

Maximum Contaminant
Level (MCL)

The highest level of a naturally-occurring or man-made contaminant the EPA allows in drinking water.

Metric Tons of Carbon Equivalent (MTCE)

The international standard for expressing greenhouse gases in carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents.

Nickel

A toxic substance emitted when PET resin is manufactured into plastic bottles.

Plumbed-in water dispenser

A dispenser that connects directly to a main municipal water supply line and dispenses tap water as opposed to bottled water (this includes water fountains as well as dispensers with built-in tanks that hold pre-chilled or pre-heated water).

Point-of-use site

The location where tap water directly reaches a consumer, such as a faucet or water fountain.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)

Plastic labeled number 1, used in making synthetic fibers, beverage bottles, liquid containers, and carpet.  This plastic is a type of polyester.

Post-Consumer Recycled Content

Material recovered from a consumer product at the end of its life, diverted from waste destined for disposal.

Public water system

A system that has at least 15 service connections or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents (EPA, 2006a).

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Regulates the U.S. municipal drinking water supply; enforced by the EPA.

Safe Drinking Water Information System
(SDWIS)

A database which contains information about public water systems and their violations of EPA’s drinking water regulations (EPA, 2006e).

Single-serving bottle

Bottles containing a half-liter (16.9 ounces) of water or less.

Tap water

Municipal water drawn directly from a tap, faucet, or other direct local water supply line.

Toxic substance

A chemical or chemicals that may present an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.

Water distribution system (infrastructure)

An underground network of pipes that delivers drinking water to homes and businesses. Small systems may be relatively simple, while large metropolitan systems can be extremely complex, sometimes consisting of thousands of miles of pipes serving millions of people.