August of 1996 became one of the most important times for bottled water. It was then that bottled water became regulated by the U. S. Food & Drug Administration. This was a much hailed event as the bottled water industry had urged FDA since the 1970's to regulate it but to no avail.

Bottled water conforms to standards that are NO less stringent than those of the Environmental Protection Agency which regulates municipal water supplies. In some instances, bottled water standards are more stringent than municipal waters.

All bottled water companies must have their source water and finished product water tested on a yearly basis. These tests include organics, inorganics, pesticides, herbicides and radiological. Testing for coliform bacteria are done on a daily basis.

Berkshire Springs, Inc. is also a member of the International Bottled Water Association. The IBWA represents 85% of the bottled water industry and requires members to follow a model code of good manufacturing practices. An unannounced 3^rd party plant inspection done by the
National Sanitation Foundation, certified plant operators and daily in-house testings are part of these requirements.

For further industry information on the bottled water industry, visit the IBWA web site at www.bottledwater.org.