Environmental Health

  1. Home
  2. Public Health and Food Protection Program
  3. Bottled Water

Public Health and Food Protection Program

Di Li
Project Coordinator

Nala Williams
Project Specialist

bottled.water@doh.nj.gov 

(609) 913-5113

 

Bottled Water

The Bottled Water Project reviews, inspects, and certifies potable water bottling plants and bulk bottled water hauler businesses.

 

 

Apply or Renew a Certification
1. Ensure each product falls under the definition of Bottled Water

The FDA describes bottled water as water that’s intended for human consumption and sealed in bottles or other containers with no added ingredients, except that it may contain safe and suitable antimicrobial agents. Fluoride may also be added within the limits set by the FDA.

Submit the Bottled Water Establishment Application if your business is filling or hauling any of the following product types for wholesale distribution:

✔ Includes:

  • Artesian Water
  • Ground Water
  • Well Water
  • Spring Water
  • Sterilized Water
  • Purified Water
  • Mineral Water
  • Sparkling Water*

*Sparkling Water definition: after treatment and possible replacement of carbon dioxide, contains the same amount of carbon dioxide from the source that it had at emergence from the source. 

❌ Does Not Include:

2. Complete form F-5: Application for Certification to Sell Bottled Water or Bulk Water

All sections of the application are required. Incomplete applications will not be processed. Handwritten applications are not accepted.

Download Application Form F-5

Instructions for completing the application are available online.

See the F-5 Application Instructions

3. Collect required attachments

All attachments must be in English or accompanied by an English translation.

For each Source:

  1. Analysis Report and Cover Form (Public Community Water System may alternatively submit a Water Quality Report)

  2. Letter of certification from the regulatory agency verifying the source supply and facility has been inspected and is approved, and ground water supplies have been evaluated for surface water influences under criteria equivalent to those established under N.J.A.C. 8:21-5.3(b)

  3. Microscopic Particulate Analysis OR Hydrogeological Evaluation (New Well or Spring only)

For each Product Type: Submit a separate water analysis report. Each analysis report must be accompanied by a completed Water Analysis form.

Bottler Facilities Submit Labels: If you checked Bottler at the top of the application, submit a complete product label for each brand and container size.

Note: To find the list of NJDEP-certified labs, click here. Scroll down and navigate to "Certified Drinking Water Labs."

4. Pay Online

Submit an electronic payment and receive a payment confirmation email.

8:21-5.16 Certification fees

(a) The Department shall collect from each applicant a certification fee in the following amount:

  1. For an initial certification application, $1,000 for each source of supply; and
  2. For an annual renewal application, $650.00 for each source of supply.


Submit an electronic payment

5. Send your application via email

Send your completed application, required attachments, and payment confirmation number via email to bottled.water@doh.nj.gov

If the application and attachments are too large for a single email, send a message to bottled.water@doh.nj.gov and request a file-sharing link.

Email the Bottled Water Project

 

 

Rules and Regulations

New Jersey Administrative Codes (NJAC) and related Statutes Annotated (NJSA)

New Jersey State regulations, also called rules, implement the statutes that are the legal basis for operating State programs and services.

The New Jersey Administrative Code, an official publication of the State of New Jersey, compiles all effective rules adopted by State agencies and filed with the Office of Administrative Law. The New Jersey Administrative Code is regularly updated in a loose-leaf format organized by State agency content.

The New Jersey Administrative Code is available from LexisNexis, the publisher licensed by the NJ Office of Administrative Law. A searchable online version of the Code is available at LexisNexis. The NJ Administrative Code may also be found in public libraries; contact your library directly for availability.

Copies of rules are provided here as a courtesy and are not the official versions. Though every effort is made to ensure that the text provided here is identical to the official, legally effective versions of rule, if any discrepancies exist between the text at this website and the official version of the rules, the official version will govern.

NJAC 8:21-5 -- Manufacturing, Storage, Distribution, and Handling Standards for Bottled Water

 

Bottled Drinking Water Standards

Bottled water producers must sample and test both source water and the final product for contaminants. Test standards are adopted from the Code of Federal Regulations 21CFR165.110

New Jersey Bottled Drinking Water Standards for Analysis

 

 

Annual Reports

 

Last Reviewed: 11/22/2024