What Bottled Water Should You Stay Away From? Brands With Documented Problems

If you want the short answer: skip any bottled water with a documented contamination record. That list includes Real Water, which was recalled in March 2021 after the FDA linked it to an outbreak of serious liver illness, Peñafiel, where testing found arsenic above the 10 parts-per-billion federal limit in 2019, and Starkey, which was recalled for arsenic in 2016–2017 and tested just under the limit in 2019. Beyond specific names, stay away from any brand that won’t show you a current water quality report.

The rest of this guide walks through the brands with documented problems, the red flags that should make you put a bottle back on the shelf, and what to reach for instead. Where a claim comes from a regulator or an independent lab, we link the source so you can check it yourself.

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Which bottled water brands have documented safety problems?

Most bottled water sold in the U.S. is safe and regulated by the FDA under its bottled water standard of quality (21 CFR 165.110), which caps arsenic at 0.010 mg/L (10 ppb) and lead at 0.005 mg/L (5 ppb). The brands below are the exceptions that made headlines for the wrong reasons — each backed by a recall, regulatory action, or published third-party testing.

Real Water: the clearest “never again” on record

On March 16, 2021, the FDA announced it was investigating “Real Water” brand alkaline water after it was linked to cases of acute non-viral hepatitis — sudden liver injury — in infants and children in the Las Vegas area. The company recalled all of its products on March 24, 2021, and by the end of the investigation the FDA counted 21 probable cases, four suspect cases and one death in Nevada and California. On June 1, 2021, the FDA announced the company had agreed to cease operations until it could comply with federal food law. It remains the starkest modern example of why “alkaline” and “premium” labels are not safety guarantees. If you live in the region where it was sold, our Nevada drinking water guide covers what’s actually in local tap water.

Peñafiel: arsenic above the federal limit

Peñafiel, a Mexican mineral spring water imported by Keurig Dr Pepper, drew scrutiny in 2019 when testing — including the company’s own — found arsenic levels above the FDA’s 10 ppb standard of quality. Consumer Reports’ three samples averaged 18.1 ppb, and the company’s new internal testing found about 17 ppb. Keurig Dr Pepper temporarily halted production at the Mexico plant to add filtration, and on June 21, 2019, withdrew Peñafiel from sale in the U.S. The FDA had seized the product in December 2014 and placed it on an import alert in 2015. Arsenic is a known carcinogen with no beneficial level, which is why regulators cap it aggressively.

Starkey (Whole Foods): arsenic just under the line

Starkey Spring Water, sold by Whole Foods, was recalled twice — on December 15, 2016, after Florida regulators measured 11.7 ppb, and again about three weeks later after a sample tested at 12 ppb. Consumer Reports testing in 2019 measured samples between 9.48 and 9.86 ppb, with one at 10.1 ppb — higher than nearly every competing brand. When most brands test far lower, there’s little reason to choose one that hovers near the maximum.

Topo Chico: the PFAS outlier that (mostly) cleaned up

In Consumer Reports’ testing of 47 bottled waters, published September 24, 2020, Topo Chico mineral water registered the highest total PFAS (“forever chemicals”) of any brand tested, at 9.76 parts per trillion. The company told Consumer Reports it had upgraded its filtration, and a retest published February 12, 2021, averaged 3.9 ppt — better, but still above the 1 ppt total-PFAS level Consumer Reports uses to flag results. Consumer Reports has called for an enforceable federal PFAS limit for bottled water. Worth knowing: the EPA’s 4 ppt limits for PFOA and PFOS apply to public tap water, not bottled water, and the FDA told Consumer Reports in 2020 that setting a bottled water PFAS limit would be “premature.”

What’s the unhealthiest type of bottled water?

Brand names aside, some categories deserve extra caution:

• Sweetened and “flavored” waters. Many are closer to soft drinks than water. Check for added sugars and acids that erode tooth enamel.
• Repackaged municipal water at premium prices. Brands labeled “purified water” often start as tap water. That’s not a safety problem — it’s a value problem, especially if the brand won’t disclose its source.
• Bottles stored hot or sold dusty. Heat accelerates leaching from plastic and degrades taste. Skip bottles that have clearly baked in a warehouse, vehicle, or sunny storefront.
• Any bottle, if it’s your everyday default. A 2024 Columbia University study found an average of about 240,000 plastic particles per liter in the three bottled water brands it tested. Health effects are still being studied, but if you drink bottled water daily, that’s an avoidable exposure.

Red flags: how to spot a bottled water to skip

Use this quick checklist in the store:

• No published water quality report. Reputable bottlers publish current test results (often called a water quality report) on their website. No report, no purchase. Our roundup of independently tested bottled water brands lists the ones that do this well.
• Vague sourcing. “Bottled at the source” means little if the label won’t say where the source is.
• Arsenic-prone springs without recent test data. Two of the four brands above had arsenic problems at the source. It’s manageable with treatment — but only if the bottler tests and publishes.
• Miracle health claims. “Structured,” “oxygenated,” or extreme-alkalinity marketing is a reliable signal that marketing is outrunning chemistry.

Which bottled water is actually safe to drink?

The good news: most major brands test far below every federal limit. Look for bottlers that publish current reports and consistently post low arsenic and low PFAS results. We keep a regularly updated ranking in our guide to the safest bottled water brands in America, and a broader overview on our bottled and drinking water pillar page.

Is your tap water the better option?

Often, yes — and it’s dramatically cheaper. U.S. tap water is regulated by the EPA with mandatory public reporting, and in most systems it meets every health standard. Quality varies by region, though: see our state-by-state breakdown at the drinking water quality by state hub, or jump straight to a state like Texas if that’s home. If you are weighing a daily habit, our look at drinking bottled water every day covers fluoride, plastics and cost.

Two practical moves beat brand-hopping:

• Test what’s in your tap. A certified-lab kit like SimpleLab’s Tap Score (mytapscore.com) screens for arsenic, lead, PFAS, and dozens of other contaminants, so you’re deciding on data instead of marketing.
• Filter instead of buying bottles. A quality reverse osmosis system removes arsenic and most PFAS at a fraction of bottled water’s per-gallon cost. Aquasana’s under-sink and whole-house systems (aquasana.com) and Crystal Quest’s reverse osmosis line are both solid starting points.

Frequently Asked Questions

What bottled water was recalled for making people sick?

Real Water alkaline water. The FDA linked it to an outbreak of acute non-viral hepatitis in Nevada and California; the company recalled all of its products on March 24, 2021, and later agreed to cease operations. It is no longer sold.

Is Topo Chico still high in PFAS?

It’s improved. After registering 9.76 ppt total PFAS in Consumer Reports’ 2020 test, the company said it upgraded filtration, and a February 2021 retest averaged 3.9 ppt. It’s no longer the outlier it was, but it isn’t the lowest-PFAS option either.

How much arsenic is allowed in bottled water?

The FDA’s standard of quality is 0.010 mg/L (10 parts per billion), matching the EPA’s limit for tap water. Consumer Reports has argued the bottled water limit should be lowered to 3 ppb.

Does the EPA regulate bottled water?

No. The EPA regulates public tap water; bottled water is regulated by the FDA as a packaged food. FDA standards largely mirror EPA’s, but bottled water has no enforceable federal PFAS limit and no mandatory public reporting like a utility’s annual Consumer Confidence Report.

What should I do if I bought a recalled or flagged brand?

Stop drinking it, keep the receipt and lot number, and check the FDA’s recall listings for instructions. Retailers refund recalled products, and the FDA accepts consumer reports of suspected illness linked to bottled water.

Sources

• U.S. Food & Drug Administration — Investigation of Acute Non-viral Hepatitis Illnesses: “Real Water” Brand Alkaline Water (March 2021; updated November 23, 2021)
• eCFR — 21 CFR 165.110, Bottled water (standard of quality: arsenic 0.010 mg/L, lead 0.005 mg/L)
• U.S. Food & Drug Administration — Bottled Water Everywhere: Keeping It Safe
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (arsenic MCL: 10 ppb)
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (PFOA and PFOS: 4.0 ppt)
• Consumer Reports — Arsenic in some bottled water brands at unsafe levels (April 18, 2019; updated June 28, 2019)
• Consumer Reports — What’s really in your bottled water? PFAS testing (September 24, 2020)
• Consumer Reports — Topo Chico cuts PFAS levels by more than half in new tests (February 12, 2021)
• Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health — Bottled water can contain hundreds of thousands of nanoplastics (January 9, 2024)

Last updated October 31, 2026. This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice — see our Health Disclaimer.