A bottled water system with all sources located outside of Vermont is considered an imported bottled water system and must obtain an Approval to Sell Bottled Water in Vermont prior to the distribution and sale of a bottled water product in the state.
Imported bottled water approval applications must include a statement from the appropriate regulatory agency with jurisdiction over the bottled water system indicating that the facility has been approved to bottle or package water for human consumption. This approval may be in the form of a copy of a certificate, license, permit, or a letter of approval from the agency. The Secretary may require the imported bottled water system to submit a copy of the laws and regulations on bottled water processing from the regulatory agency having jurisdiction. In accordance with 10 VSA §1673(f)(1), an imported bottled water system shall certify that the water and the source and system of the imported water is regulated by drinking water standards or requirements substantially equivalent to or more stringent than standards or requirements established by the Secretary pursuant to 10 VSA §1672(b).
Approval/Amendment and Report Forms
Interim Standard
The State of Vermont has published an interim standard regarding requirements for imported bottled water Approvals. Imported bottled water systems shall meet all applicable standards set forth in the Vermont Water Supply Rule, except where identified in the interim standard. This standard reflects an interim policy and does not take the place of existing regulation. The standard will be reviewed and formally encoded in a future revision of the Water Supply Rule.
Required Water Quality Monitoring for Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) for Imported Bottled Water Systems
To protect public health, and pursuant to Section 11.1.2(h) of the Vermont Water Supply Rule and the conditions of Approvals to Sell Bottled Water in Vermont, the Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources is also requiring imported bottled water systems (water systems with all sources located outside Vermont that are currently approved to distribute or sell bottled water in Vermont), to complete sampling for PFAS on a three-year schedule.
Imported bottled water systems included in Vermont's PFAS-Free Bottled Water List have been tested for PFAS and reported their laboratory results to DWGPD. PFAS was not detected in their finished water. This list will be updated as results are submitted to the state.
PLEASE NOTE: Not all labs certified to perform EPA Method 537.1 may be able to achieve the relevant reporting level for this requirement, so imported bottled water systems must verify the laboratory can do so for these compounds.
