SACRAMENTO — Is the bottled water you drink any better than what comes out of the tap? Is it from the tap?

Most companies that sell H2O hate the idea, but the California Legislature wants to make it easier for people to find out what minerals, chemicals or bacteria are in the water they buy and whether its provenance is a well, artesian aquifer, spring — mountain or otherwise — or municipal reservoir.

“People pay a premium for bottled and vended water because they believe it is healthier,” said state Sen. Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro), author of a bill that is on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk. “But in many cases, it is the same water that is coming out of the tap.”

The bill would impose labeling and reporting mandates on purveyors of bottled water and operators of commercial water-purification machines.

The companies essentially would be required to do what the state compels water agencies to do: make details about their products’ contents and sources readily available. The water districts do this with posts on their websites and inserts in water bills; bottlers would have to include contact and source information on their labels.

“Consumers have a right to know and understand the quality of their drinking water,” said Edgar G. Dymally, a senior environmental specialist with the Metropolitan Water District. “Frequently, there’s confusion about where it comes from and what’s in it.”

The confusion has put some companies in hot water. PepsiCo Inc.’s Aquafina brand and Coca-Cola Co.’s Dasani were slammed by consumer and environmental groups for failing to clearly note that their products came from water systems.

Full Story:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-fi-bottledwater27sep27,0,5896163.story