Nestle Waters North America Leads Bottled Water Industry in Testing and Reporting...

Nestle Waters North America Leads Bottled Water Industry in Testing and
Reporting Quality
Nation's Leading Bottled Water Company Calls on All Bottlers To Make
Transparency a Priority

GREENWICH, Conn., July 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Nestle Waters North America leads
the bottled water industry in testing and reporting on the quality of its
products, and supports mandatory disclosure by all bottled water manufacturers
of water sources and test results concerning water quality.

-- Water Source Identification: Nestle Waters North America identifies
water sources on its bottle labels and/or online.

-- Quality Reports: Since 2005, Nestle Waters North America has made
quality reports publicly available for all of its brands. These
reports
are comparable to those published by public water utilities and are
based on independent testing results from certified laboratories.

-- Easy Consumer Access to Information: Consumers can access information
about Nestle Waters North America's water sources and quality
reports via phone number or Web site, both of which are listed on
product labels.

-- Bottle Quality: The plastic used for Nestle Waters North America
bottled
water packaging has been tested and approved for use by regulatory
agencies in the U.S. and other countries, and does not contain the Di
2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP; also known as Bis 2-ethylhexyl
phthalate).

"People have a right to understand the quality of both bottled and tap water.
It is for this reason that we remain committed to making quality reports and
source information easy for the public to access," said Kim Jeffery, president
and CEO of Nestle Waters North America. "We urge all companies in the bottled
water industry to do the same so consumers can see for themselves bottled
water is a beverage choice of high and consistent quality."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for overseeing the
safety of bottled water, which, like other food products such as infant
formula and seafood, must be processed, packaged, shipped and stored in a safe
and sanitary manner, and be truthfully and accurately labeled. Bottled water
is one of the most regulated food products, with FDA protocols specific to
bottled water processing and labeling.

"In general, FDA's oversight of bottled water can be described as successful.
The Agency is aware of no major outbreaks of illness or serious safety
concerns associated with bottled water over the past decade," said Dr. Joshua
Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of food and drugs, FDA, at the July
8, 2009 Congressional hearing on the regulation of bottled water.

There has been no conclusive evidence that bottled water has caused illnesses
in the past five years, according to the U.S. Government Accountability
Office's survey of 50 States and District of Columbia. According to the
Centers for Disease Control, each year there are anywhere from 4 million to 33
million cases of gastrointestinal illness associated with public drinking
water systems.

"Federal law requires FDA to set similar standards for bottled water as exist
for municipal water, or explain why they should not apply," Dr. Sharfstein
stated. In accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, FDA regulations for
bottled water are at least as stringent as those imposed by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for municipal drinking water. (Hear the
former FDA director of food safety and applied nutrition discuss bottled water
regulations at the Yale University Drinking Water Symposium.)

"FDA has established standards for more than 90 contaminants. And in some
cases, such as for lead or copper, FDA limits are stricter for bottled water
than for municipal water," Dr. Sharfstein continued.

Nestle Waters' bottled waters come from carefully selected sources, use
state-of-the-art filtration and quality control processes, and are bottled in
hygienically-sealed containers. Nestle Waters North America tests
approximately 2,000 samples a day of its bottled water. Gallon for gallon,
Nestle Waters North America tests its water nearly 68 times more frequently
than most municipal water suppliers.

Nestle Waters' bottling plants undergo independent annual inspection. These
facilities are also subject to both state and federal regulations.

At present, members of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), the
bottled water industry trade group, are encouraged to release information
about the contents of their water. People can go to the IBWA Web site,
www.bottledwater.org, to obtain contact information or water quality
information for all IBWA member brands. IBWA has petitioned the FDA to require
all bottled water labels to include a telephone number that will allow
consumers to contact manufacturers for information not already on the labels.

About Nestle Waters North America
Central to the leadership of Nestle Waters North America Inc. is its 33-year
history and single-focus on producing bottled water products. The company's
dedication to product quality, manufacturing expertise, employee development
and environmental stewardship, especially in the areas of water use, energy
and packaging, has helped Nestle Waters become the number one bottled water
company in the U.S. To reach success, the company follows its credo: Respect
for each other, respect for the environment, and respect for the community. To
learn more, visit http://www.nestle-watersna.com/index.

SOURCE Nestle Waters North America

Jane Lazgin, +1-203-863-0240, jane.lazgin@waters.nestle.com