Brands Of Bottled Water Research Articles

Estimating Trihalomethane Concentrations in Bottled Spring Water

The chlorination of water has led to a substantial reduction in waterborne disease outbreaks. There are, however, concerns regarding the safety of trihalomethanes (major by-products of chlorination). One of the limitations of much of the existing evidence is the lack of individual trihalomethane exposure estimates, and these estimates should include the concentration of trihalomethanes in bottled water. In Australia, water advertised as ‘spring’ or ‘mineral’ water should, by definition, remain untreated, and should not, therefore, contain any trihalomethanes. We tested this assumption by assessing the concentration of trihalomethanes (bromodichloromethane, bromoform, chloroform, dibromochloromethane, and total trihalomethanes) in the six brands of bottled spring water most commonly consumed by pregnant women in Australia (here labelled A–F). For each water brand, two bottles were purchased from five locations, and this procedure was replicated approximately 2 weeks later. Standard water analysis techniques were used to determine the concentrations of bromodichloromethane, bromoform, chloroform, dibromochloromethane, and total trihalomethanes in each bottle. All 10 samples of brands A and B were positive for trihalomethanes, as was one bottle of brand C. No trihalomethanes were detected in any of the samples of the remaining three brands (D–F). The highest recorded total trihalomethane concentration was 30 µg/L. The trihalomethane concentration in Australian bottled spring water cannot be assumed to be zero. Studies estimating trihalomethane exposures should, therefore, collect data on the brand of the bottled water consumed, and test these brands contemporaneously for their trihalomethane exposures, to strengthen the evidence regarding trihalomethane exposure and human health outcomes.

Age-dependent effective ingestion dose estimations and lifetime risk assessment for selected radionuclides (40K and 3H) in bottled waters marketed in United Arab Emirates

Monitoring drinking water, including bottled water, is imperative to safeguarding public health especially where bottled water consumption is high like in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In this study, radionuclide activity levels of Tritium (3H) and Potassium (40K) were assessed in various brands of bottled water marketed in UAE. Activity level data was used to calculate the annual effective doses (Ed) for different age groups, and the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) for adult males and females in the UAE population. Activity levels for both radionuclides were below the allowable maximum guideline values specified by local and international standards. Calculated total age dependent ingestion doses revealed that adults and lactation age groups received the highest effective ingestion doses. Adult males exhibited a higher ELCR for both isotopes, compared to females. Nonetheless, total radioactive dose for each water brand (0.91–1.47 μSv/yr) as well as for each population group were well below the recommended annual reference dose level of 100 μSv set by World Health Organization. Therefore, bottled water in the UAE is safe from the radiological aspect for investigated radionuclides, and poses no significant radiological exposure and health risk to the public.

Bisphenol analogues in Chinese bottled water: Quantification and potential risk analysis

Polycarbonate (PC) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as the package materials have been widely used for Chinese bottled water, from which estrogenic bisphenol analogues might migrate into bottled water. Therefore, there is a strong need to investigate the occurrence and potential risk of such estrogenic bisphenol analogues in Chinese bottled waters. In this study, a GC–MS method was first established and validated for determination of trace-level ten kinds of bisphenol analogues, including bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol C (BPC), bisphenol E (BPE), bisphenol F (BPF), bisphenol P (BPP), bisphenol S (BPS), bisphenol Z (BPZ), bisphenol AP (BPAP), and bisphenol AF (BPAF). BPA was detected in all eleven brands of PET bottled waters with concentrations of 12.4–44.9 ng/L. Some bisphenol analogues were detected in PET bottled waters, and the average concentrations of BPA, BPE, and BPAF in PET bottled waters were found to be 20.8, 1.8, and 2.2 ng/L, respectively. The other eight bisphenol analogues were not detected in PET bottled waters. On the other hand, BPA was detected with high concentrations of 111.8 to 6452.8 ng/L in ten brands of PC bottled water. The average concentrations of BPA, BPS, BPAP, and BPAF were determined to be 1394.3, 1.9, 1.4 and 1.0 ng/L, respectively, while the other seven bisphenol analogues were not detected. High BPA concentration detected in PC bottled waters would remarkably increase human BPA daily intake through daily consumption of such bottled waters. Meanwhile, high estrogen equivalence (EEQ) in PC bottled waters of China is mainly due to the presence of BPA, which may imply adverse effect on human. Therefore, further investigation should be dedicated to assess PC bottled water-associated BPA risks in a more holistic manner.

The effect of temperature and storage time on the migration of antimony from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into commercial bottled water in Kuwait.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a safe material used widely in manufacturing plastic water bottles. However, recent studies have linked PET with Antimony which poses both acute and chronic health effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of storage and temperature on the amount of antimony leached to the bottled water. Three brands of bottled water were used for this analysis. Samples were stored at 25°C for three months to examine the storage duration on antimony levels. To examine the effect of temperature on antimony levels, samples were stored at -5°C, 25°C and 50°C for 24 hours, respectively. To investigate the duel effect of both temperature and time on antimony levels, samples from one brand were heated at 50°C for 7 days. Antimony analysis was conducted using a Thermo Electron Element 2 single-collector double-focusing magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Results showed that there were no statistical differences of antimony concentrations before and after storage at room temperature. Heating samples to 50°C increased the antimony concentrations to 8.530 ppb and 16.8 ppb in 24 hours and 7 days, respectively. Although the range of Antimony concentrations in the bottled waters is well below WHO maximum contaminant level if stored at room temperature, inappropriate and prolonged storage of plastic bottles may lead to exceed the maximum contaminant level of 6 ppb. The data collected from this study can be useful to plastic bottle manufacturers for setting a safe storage temperature for PET bottles.(www.actabiomedica.it)

Classification of Various Bottled Mineral Waters Marketed in Djibouti

In this study, nineteen different brands of bottled mineral waters (7 brands local and 12 brands imported) were collected from supermarkets and independent food stores throughout Djibouti. The chemical composition mentioned on the labels of the nineteen bottled mineral waters has made the subject of a first verification by Ionic Balance Error (IBE). It was found out of the nineteen brands selected, 12 brands (2 brands local and 10 brands imported) had acceptable charge balance error. Correlation Analysis (CA), Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) were used to analyze the data collected from the labels of bottled water. The obtained results showed that the 12 brands of studied waters can be grouped in 4 distinct classes with similar chemical characteristics. Two local and one imported brands have the same chemical composition but marketed under different names. It was observed that the chemical content local water brands were within the normal range prescribed by both WHO and USEPA except five imported water brands that have concentration values Ca, HCO3, Mg and SO4 beyond acceptable standards. Total hardness values classified most of the studied brands from moderate to very hard water.

Fluoride content of commercial drinking water and carbonated soft drinks available in Southeastern Nigeria: dental and public health implications.

The importance of fluoride in preventing dental diseases cannot be overemphasized. The aim of this study was to determine the fluoride content of commercial bottled water, sachet water and carbonated soft drinks available in Southeastern-Nigeria at the same time, eliciting their dental and public health implications. Determination of fluoride level in water and carbonated drinks was carried out using Colorimetric-SPADNS (Trisodium 2-(4-sulfophenylazo)-1, 8-dihydroxynaphthalene-3, 6-disulfonate) method. This is a simple and rapid technique with high accuracy. 10 brands of bottled water, 10 brands of carbonated soft drinks and 20 brands of sachet water were studied. The experiment for each brand was carried out in duplicates and mean fluoride concentrations generated. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 17. Fluoride contents in mg/L of bottled water brands ranged from 0.0173 ± 0.0019 mg/L to 0.1607 ± 0.0630 mg/L [mean: 0.0442 ± 0.0184 mg/L] and that of sachet water brands was from 0.0131 ± 0.0019 mg/L to 0.1754 ± 0.1344 mg/L. Mean fluoride content of carbonated soft drinks was 0.0228 ± 0.0064 mg/L with one of the brands having as low as 0.0066 ± 0.0028 mg/L fluoride. None of the drinks investigated contained level of fluoride up to standard admissible values suggesting sub-optimal intake. As the suitability of advice on fluoride use in preventing dental abnormalities depends on the individual's total fluoride intake from drinks and other sources, a further study is warranted to relate this total with the baseline decayed missing and filled teeth of the population.

Study of Compliance of Sealed Bottled Water with Nepal Drinking Water Quality Standard: A Case of Bhaktapur Municipality, Nepal

Bottled water is generally considered safe for drinking. However, several studies have reported the substandard quality of bottled water. Physico-chemical assessment of ten different brands of bottled water distributed in Bhaktapur Municipality was carried out from January 2018 to March 2018. In total, one hundred bottled water samples consisting of ten different brands were collected randomly from various retail outlets. Eight selected physico-chemical and microbiological parameters were analysed following standard methods, and the results were compared with the Nepal Drinking Water Quality Standard (NDWQS) (2005). Out of one hundred samples, sixty-nine samples did not comply with the standard pH limit. Other physico-chemical parameters were found to comply with the standard though variations were observed in the concentrations among different brands. Microbial contamination was not found in any brands of the bottled water samples considered in this study. However, it is necessary to examine other contaminants such as heavy metals, minerals, and chemicals to know the overall quality of water. Moreover, the regulatory bodies are required to strictly monitor water processing companies for the maintenance of the quality of bottled water.

Health risk assessment of heavy metals exposure (lead, cadmium, and copper) through drinking water consumption in Kerman city, Iran

This investigation has been conducted to evaluate the concentrations of heavy metals, including lead, cadmium, and copper in the drinking water in Kerman city, Iran. In this descriptive cross-sectional research, there have been 160 samples of tap water and 64 samples of bottled water brands collected to achieve comparable results. The atomic absorption spectrophotometer has been used to measure the concentrations of lead, cadmium and copper and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) indexes have been used to evaluate the human health risk. The results showed that the mean concentrations of lead metal in tap water have been higher than the recommended quantity based on the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO) and USEPA. The mean concentrations of cadmium and copper in urban tap water have been in the acceptable ranges defined by Iranian National Standards, WHO and USEPA. Likewise, the target heavy metals concentrations in the bottled water have been conformed to these standard limits. Although there is no potential risk of carcinogenic detrimental health effect in children and adult groups, the children group consuming the drinking water are at the risk of non-carcinogenic adverse health effect. It is recommended that the heavy metals concentrations in drinking water are periodically monitored to minimize the environmental pollutions and health risks in consumers.

ANALISIS KUALITAS AIR MINUM DALAM KEMASAN (AMDK) DI YOGYAKARTA DITINJAU DARI PARAMETER FISIKA DAN KIMIA AIR

Backgroud: Nowadays, bottled water has become the most substitute water for cooking drinking water. Although bottled water seemed attractive, it is crucial to assess its quality.
 Objective: This quantitative study aimed to determine the quality of the 5 brands of bottled water circulating in Yogyakarta, in terms of physical parameters (temperature, smell, taste, color, turbidity, and TDS electroconductivity) and chemical parameters of water (pH, the presence of Cl-ions, and the presence of metals such as Cr, Fe, Zn, Cd).
 Methods: The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The instrument used to determine the quality of bottled water is the standard of drinking water quality standards.
 Result: The results showed that five samples of bottled water circulating in Yogyakarta, are all qualified bottled water both in terms of physical parameters (temperature, smell, taste, color, turbidity, electroconductivity, and TDS) and chemical parameters of water (pH , the presence of Cl-ions, and the presence of metals such as Cr, Fe, Zn, Cd).
 Conclusion: Five samples of bottled water circulating in Yogyakarta were suitable for consumption.
 Keywords: Bottled water, water analysis, water quality, water chemistry parameters

Avaliação geoquímica das águas envasadas de aquíferos cristalinos no sul e sudeste do Brasil

Os mecanismos relacionados à interação rocha-água são importantes processos para o entendimento da qualidade da água subterrânea. A composição química de 38 marcas de água envasada dos aquíferos cristalinos nas regiões Sul e Sudeste do Brasil foram avaliadas para um diagnóstico preliminar dos processos de interação rocha-água atuantes. Os resultados apontam que as diversas amostras de água apresentam graus distintos de interação com a rocha, e que estes podem ser mensurados pela concentração do íon HCO3-. A análise exploratória indica que águas pouco mineralizadas, provavelmente provenientes de recarga recente, são do tipo misto. Por outro lado, águas mais mineralizadas são do tipo bicarbonatado, variando do sódico ao cálcico, ambas com elevada proporção de magnésio. A despeito da ampla variabilidade composicional das rochas que compõe os aquíferos analisados, nota-se que a assembleia mineralógica que mais contribui para a composição da água são os silicatos cálcio-magnesianos, representados predominantemente pela hornblenda. O sódio e parte do cálcio na água são provenientes da hidrólise de plagioclásios, enquanto o potássio é proveniente da dissolução de feldspato potássico.

중국 생수 브랜드 "농부산천"의 디자인 판매 전략 통합 분석 - 패키지 디자인을 중심으로 -

본 연구는 중국의 생수 업계가 지속적인 성장을 보일 뿐만 아니라 생수 시장 규모가 향후 더 증가할 것이라는 전망에서 시작되었다. 최근 다양한 생수 브랜드와 생수 패키지가 하나둘씩 등장하면서 생수 업계내에 차별화 전략이 필요한 시기가 되었는데, 이러한 배경 속에서 농부산천의 판매량은 줄어들지 않고 계속해서 높은 시장 판매율을 차지하고 있다.BR 본 연구의 목적은 설문 조사와 패키지 디자인 분석을 통해 농부산천 생수 패키지에 대한 소비자의 니즈는 무엇이며 어떠한 원인으로 농부산천의 판매량이 지속적으로 유지되고 있는지 검증하고자 하는 것이다. 본 연구는 농부산천 생수 패키지와 소비자들의 패키지 선호도와의 상관성을 알아보고자 진행되었다.BR 연구결과 및 내용은 다음과 같다. 첫째, 중국 생수의 특성 및 시장 현황을 살펴보고 농부산천 생수 패키지에 대한 분석을 정리하였다. 둘째, 소비자 반응을 파악하기 위해 중국인을 대상으로 선호도 설문조사를 실시하였다. 또한, 농부산천과 일반 생수 용기 디자인의 비교를 통해 농부산천이 계속 1위를 차지하는 이유와 일반 용기 디자인의 연계성을 살펴보고자 하였다. 조사 결과를 보면, 소비자의 선호도는 대부분 농부산천의 생수 패키지에 반영되어 있었으며, 농부산천은 소비자 니즈와 판매량 촉진을 위해 2015년도부터 매년 새로운 패키지를 출시하는 등 지속적으로 디자인 판매 전략을 준비하고 추진해 오고 있었다. 즉, 소비자들의 생수 패키지에 대한 선호도를 충족시킨 농부산천은 중국 시장에서 꾸준히 높은 시장 점유율을 차지할 수 있었던 것이다. 이러한 연구결과를 바탕으로 앞으로 적극적인 패키지 디자인을 통해 타 브랜드와 차별화할 수 있는 판매 전략의 연구가 필요하다고 생각한다.

Non-carcinogenic health risk assessment of nitrate in bottled drinking waters sold in Iranian markets: A Monte Carlo simulation

The main objective of the current research was to evaluate nitrate content in different brands of bottled drinking waters sold in Iranian markets using the available data in the literature and to assess the health risk associated with the consumption of drinking water containing this contaminant. The concentrations of nitrate in different brands of bottled waters in Iranian markets from 16 previous studies during 2010–2018 were derived and used for human health risk assessment. PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar and also Iranian database (Irandoc) were searched to find all published studies regarding the levels of nitrate in bottled drinking waters in Iran. The health risk assessment was estimated using chronic daily intake and hazard quotient based on the methodology suggested by the USEPA. The levels of nitrate in published studies varied considerably, ranging from 0.1 mg/L to 35.2 mg/L which were less than the regulatory limit of 45 mg/L for drinking water set by the USEPA. The ranges of CDI values for bottled waters were as follows: 5.13×10−4 mg/(kg d) – 8.38×10−1 mg/(kg d) [mean 3.93×10−1 mg/(kg d)], 1.58×10−5 mg/(kg d) – 2.58×10−2 mg/(kg d) [mean 1.21×10−2 mg/(kg d)], 1.09×10−6 mg/(kg d) – 1.78×10−3 mg/(kg d) [mean 8.33×10−4 mg/(kg d)] for men, women, and children, respectively. The results showed that health risk in all the studies was well within the safe zone (HQ women > children.

Radiochemical analysis of bottled drinking waters consumed in Turkey and a risk assessment study

Water is of vital importance for human life and health. Therefore, drinking water must be safe and quality enough to be consumed by humans. In this study, 19 commercially available Turkish brands of bottled drinking water (BDW) were analyzed to assess the radiological and chemical quality of these waters. The radioactivity concentrations of gross alpha and beta in BDW samples were determined by using a gas proportional α/β counter. The average gross alpha and beta radioactivity concentrations were 21 ± 5 mBq/L and 59 ± 12 mBq/L, respectively. The average annual effective radiation doses due to consumption of BDW samples were estimated as 8, 12 and 24 μSv/y for infant, children and adult, respectively. The concentrations of anions (fluoride, chloride, bromide, nitrate, nitrite, sulfate and phosphate) and cations (Mg, Sr, Fe, Pb, Hg, Zn, Cr, Co, Ni, Cd and Mn) in BDW samples were determined using an ion chromatography system and inductively coupled plasma- optical emission spectrometry, respectively. The average concentrations of fluoride, chloride, nitrate and sulfate were determined as 32.1, 1882.5, 2050.7 and 4776.9 μg/L, respectively. The average concentrations of Mg, Sr, Fe, Pb, Hg, Zn, Cr, Co, Ni, Cd and Mn were found as 2899.0, 62.9, 3.45, 3.18, 2.0, 2.0, 1.9, 1.7, 1.7, 1.2 and 1.0 μg/L, respectively. The results reveal that all radiological and chemical values measured in BDW samples, except for Hg, are lower than the limit values set by national regulations and World Health Organization. The average Hg concentration is higher than the limit values set by national regulations.

Survey of trace elements in bottled natural mineral waters using ICP-MS.

This study monitors the elemental composition of different brands of bottled natural mineral waters marketed in Turkey and discusses compositional parameters. Natural mineral water samples were analyzed for cesium (Cs), rubidium (Rb), thallium (Tl), cobalt (Co), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), gallium (Ga), vanadium (V), silver (Ag), cadmium (Cd), uranium (U), thorium (Th), and molybdenum (Mo) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Method trueness was confirmed by using 1640A natural water certified reference materials purchased from Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC). The linearity, limit of detection, limit of quantification, repeatability, and recovery (%) were assessed. Method validation data and results obtained from the certified reference material suggested that the method could be applied to determine elemental contaminants of the samples. Cd, Tl, Ag, and Th could not be determined (< LOD) in the samples. Pb, Cs, Co, Rb, Ga, V, U, As, Cr, and Mo were determined in samples. The results were compared with elemental standards for natural mineral waters set according to the World Health Organization and United States Environmental Protection Agency, and the concentrations of all metals did not exceed these values.

Chemical composition of Chilean bottled waters: Anomalous values and possible effects on human health

The Chilean bottled water market has experienced continuous growth since 2000, surpassing 500 million liters sold in 2015. Generally, consumers tend to associate the consumption of bottled water with a healthy lifestyle, but current Chilean law does not require the product to be labelled with the chemical composition, thus preventing consumers from making informed choices.Our study focuses on determining the water quality of ten brands of bottled water available for sale in Santiago, Chile. All of the analyzed water was not carbonated and in plastic containers in the 1.5 L size when available and the closest size to this when not available. Thirty-two chemical elements were analyzed, including minor and trace elements, and the data have been evaluated with respect to the limits established by Chilean and international regulatory agencies.Our results indicate that the quality of the analyzed water generally complies with Chilean law for bottled water. However, 30% of the analyzed samples exceed the values of arsenic (As) permitted by Chilean drinking water regulations, the World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In 40% of the samples, the NO3 content is higher than groundwater values suggesting that the source of the bottled water is superficial. The purified bottled water brands contain minimal amounts of dissolved elements but do not comply with all of the parameters (e.g., pH) established by Chilean drinking water regulations.Our study highlights that there is an inconsistency between the Chilean norms that regulate bottled water and those that regulate drinking water. Some of the analyzed bottled waters do not comply with the drinking water regulations and paradoxically these brands should not be consumed by humans. However, risk assessment calculations for As ingestion show that the consumption of 1 L/day of bottled water does not pose a risk for human health.

Health and Quality Risk Assessment of Bottled Water

The risk and quality assessment paper is dedicated to estimation of impact (for human health) of bottled drinking-water package (especially PET one). The investigation is concentrated on using one integral method for different risk types (factors connected with potential carcinogenicity: concentrations of antimony, formaldehyde, diethylhexylphthalate; and organoleptic factors: turbidity, colour, and pH). We imply the nature of organoleptic (quality assessment) factors close to risk ones because their indirect influence on polluting power of chemicals can be amplifying. The acceptable risk levels for these types are fixed as 10-1 and 10-5 respectively. The research is based on Russian and International (principally, American) scientific researches and standards. The calculation of risk metric is proposed to be estimated in dimensionless number (hazard quotient – HQ). HQ can be transformed in probabilistic numbers in conversion to events per million (Risk Index – RI and risk of olfactory-reflectory impact factors, Integral Index of Water Risk). In the article we used the idea of “chronic daily intake” (CDI) as an acceptable risk-free measure of factors of potential carcinogenicity, which is an adequate evaluation of permissible concentration. 5 brands of Russian bottled water were analyzed, it turned out that one of them had an exceeded acceptable level of risk.

Chemical Quality of the Leading Bottled Water Brands Distributed in Gorgan, Iran

Chemical Quality of the Leading Bottled Water Brands Distributed in Gorgan, Iran

Stable Hydrogen and Oxygen Isotope Characteristics of Bottled Water in China: A Consideration of Water Source

The origin of bottled water can be identified via its stable isotope signature because of the spatial variation of the stable isotope composition of natural waters. In this paper, the spatial pattern of δ2H and δ18O values were analyzed for a total of 242 bottled water samples produced at 137 sites across China that were randomly purchased during 2014–2015. The isotopic ratios of bottled water vary between −166‰ and −19‰ for δ2H, and between −21.6‰ and −2.1‰ for δ18O. Based on multiple regression analyses using meteorological and geographical parameters, an isoscape of Chinese bottled water was created. The results showed that altitude among spatial parameters and precipitation amount and air temperature among meteorological parameters were major natural factors determining the isotopic variation of bottled water. Our findings indicate the potential and the significance of the use of stable isotopes for the source identification of bottled water. An analysis of different origin types (spring, glacier and unmarked) and several different brands of bottled water in the same location reflected different production processes and source signatures.

Bottled Water Consumption Habits and Purchase Behaviours of Consumers in the Urban Areas of Adana

In recent years, the world population, urbanization process and need for natural water resources have increased. Therefore, providing the safe and clean drinking water has become an important topic of our day. This research was carried out to determine the bottled water consumption habits and purchasing behaviours of consumers. Primary data were obtained from 384 consumers living in urban areas of Adana province. The demographic characteristics and consumption habits of consumers were determined by calculating frequencies, ratios and averages. Factor analysis was used to determine the factors that affect the purchasing behaviours of the consumers and the cluster analysis were used to distinguish consumers with different perception levels from those with similar characteristics. Results indicated that 40.4% of participants consumed bottled water and 85.2% of these consumers took into account the brand of bottled water. Factor analysis revealed that 3 factors, product characteristics, packaging and price, and recognition affected purchasing behaviours in this sample. As a result of the K-means clustering analysis consumers in this study were divided into 3 groups. The most important factors for consumers in these observed clusters were shelf life, product freshness and product hygiene.

BOTTLEMANIA: THE BOTTLED DRINKING WATER BOOM IN ZIMBABWE WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON HARARE

There has been a rapid growth of the bottled drinking water industry in Zimbabwe in the past two decades. However, despite such a phenomenal growth, there have been no studies to systematically analyse the characteristics and implications of the bottled drinking water industry in the country. This study, therefore, assesses the rapid growth of the bottled water industry in Zimbabwe with a particular focus on Harare, the capital. The specific objectives of the study were: to examine factors behind the bottled drinking water boom; to identify any issues in the country’s bottled drinking water industry; and, to suggest recommendations based on the study findings. Primary data for the study were obtained through a questionnaire, structured interviews, observation and chemical analysis of sampled bottled drinking water brands. The study identified various reasons behind the bottled water boom in Harare, including declining municipal tap water quality amid rapidly rising water demand. The study also uncovered various issues in the country’s bottled water industry, including bottled drinking water quality concerns and high bottled drinking water costs. The above issues have arisen largely due to an absence of a robust and comprehensive institutional framework to govern the rapidly expanding bottled water industry in Zimbabwe. The study recommends the setting up of a clear-cut bottled drinking water policy framework, as a matter of urgency, to enable an effective and sustainable contribution of bottled drinking water in meeting rising water demand in the country. Article visualizations: