Nick Dege
Director Quality Assurance
Nestlé Waters North America

Because water quality is of utmost importance to us, we have invested significantly in staff training, factory equipment and analytical technology.

Click the image on the left to view our quality video.

Product Quality Checks
We start from the ground up by testing our source water. Then, at least nine quality checks are conducted every hour on each bottling line in every plant to measure the consistency of taste, mineral content, pH and other quality parameters as part of our quality process.

Visual Scrutiny
At Nestlé Waters North America, Inc., we think seeing is believing, so we perform continual on-the-spot visual checks of our bottling line.  In addition, all bottles are stamped with time, date and plant code, so
consumers can see for themselves that they are buying the freshest, safest product possible.

At Nestlé Waters North America, Inc., we think seeing is believing, so we perform continual on-the-spot visual checks of our bottling line. In addition, all bottles are stamped with time, date and plant code, so consumers can see for themselves that they are buying the freshest, safest product possible.

Every bottle of our natural spring water contains a production date code, so our customers can see for themselves that they’re getting fresh and great tasting water. The code is etched on the bottled and is located either on the shoulder above the label or below the label. Here’s an example:

*The Julian calendar came into force in 45 BC. A Julian year is on average 365.25 days long. The days are counted consecutively beginning January 1 and increasing by one for each day until December 31. A day is added in for leap year. We indicate the 1 digit year and then the day on the Julian calendar to show when the bottled was produced. Example: 7095 means that the bottled was produced on April 5, 2007.

Certified Plant Operators
We require that all plant quality and operating managers study and pass an exam on bottled water manufacturing technology and quality, which is proctored by the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA).

Q. Some people ask, “How well is bottled water regulated?”

A. As a packaged food product, bottled water must meet the same standards and regulations as water from public supplies, while also complying with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration requirements. These include standards for bottling procedures, packaging materials and required record keeping. Bottled water is also regulated by the states in which it is sold.

Beyond this, there is an important difference between how bottled water is regulated compared to public water supplies. If a public water supply isn’t complying with regulations, it isn’t required to shut off its customers’ tap water while the problem is being corrected. If a bottled water product ever failed to comply with regulations, the company would not only have to correct the problem, it also would have to recall the product if there was a health violation. That’s federal law.

Nestlé Waters North America also meets every standard set by the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), the trade association for the industry; is inspected annually by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF); and complies with the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)