While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates tap water as a utility, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottled water as a packaged food product. FDA bottled water regulations include:

Standard of Identity—FDA requires uniform use of terms like "purified" and "spring," so consumers can be sure different companies use the same descriptions consistently on their product labels. For example, a bottle marked "spring water" must be from a spring. One-fourth of bottled water comes from municipal sources, rather than a spring or well. The FDA requires these products be labeled "from a community water system" or "from a municipal source." However, if this water goes through a purification process such as distillation or reverse osmosis, FDA has determined that the product can be defined by the type of purification (i.e.; "drinking water"), rather than as from a municipal source.

Current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)—for both general food and bottled water-specific categories. General GMPs govern plant and ground maintenance and facility sanitation. Bottled water-specific GMPs cover plant construction and design, equipment design and production, process controls specific to bottled water, and extensive record keeping. They also require safe and sanitary transportation and storage.

Standard of Quality (SOQ)—Along with Good Manufacturing Practices, SOQs are specific bottled water product standards that help ensure safety from production and packaging to consumption. To ensure compliance, companies must test for pesticides, minerals, and physical properties such as color. By law, FDA bottled water SOQs must be at least as stringent and protective of public health as EPA’s standards for public water supplies.

Bottled Water is also subject to FDA food recall, mislabeling, and adulteration provisions.

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States also regulate bottled water. They are responsible for inspecting, sampling, analyzing, and approving water sources. States certify testing laboratories and perform unannounced and annual inspections. Some states have unique bottled water regulations, and many base their regulations on FDA, and in some cases, industry-based standards.

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The bottled water industry has developed standards through a trade association. The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) requires members to follow the IBWA Model Code, which includes annual, unannounced third-party plant inspections. The inspectors audit quality and testing records, review plant operations, and check member companies for compliance with federal and state regulations, as well as IBWA’s standards.

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