Ensure Safety of Bottled Water

Resolved Section(s):
RESOLVED: That the Michigan Delegation to the AMA ask the AMA to work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure stringent standards for bottled water comparable to the requirements for tap water stipulated by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency; and be it furtherRESOLVED: That the Michigan Delegation to the AMA ask the AMA to work with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure that the consumers of bottled water are able to know the origin, treatment, and any potential chemical pollutants routinely tested for in tap water.RATIONALE: Bottled water, because it is defined as a “food” under federal regulations, is under the authority of the Food and Drug Administration while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—under much stricter standards—regulates tap water. The EPA mandates that local water treatment plants provide city residents with a detailed account of tap water’s source and the results of any testing, including contaminant level violations. Bottled water companies are under no such directives. The Committee eliminated the second resolved because of concerns that traces of containments can be found in all water and could be confusing to the public. The Committee was comfortable that the first resolved would be adequate to providing safer bottled water.