Environment ministry tightens bottled water safety rules

The climate energy and environment ministry said it will enforce stricter safety standards for bottled water manufacturing and distribution starting July 31 to prevent quality degradation from summer heat and old containers.

The revised regulations require businesses to store products indoors as a general rule, mandating shading devices on windows or covers for any necessary outdoor storage. A grace period was set for these requirements.

A major change limits the service life of large reusable polycarbonate containers (10 liters or more) to 10 years. Manufacturers must discard any such containers showing contamination, odors or damage, and print production dates on the bottom to track usage. While containers exceeding the 10-year threshold are banned from production once the rules take effect, a grace period was granted for the mandatory date labeling.

The shelf life for bottled water now has a fixed upper limit of two years, with testing conditions adjusted to reflect ambient temperatures ranging from 1 to 35 degrees Celsius.

Inspection protocols now require mandatory quarterly checks for facilities that previously exceeded water quality standards and increase sample collection tests to at least four times a year, including during summer. The scope of these collection tests has also been expanded to include large-capacity bottled water products.

Kim Ho-eun, the ministry's director for water use policy, said the revisions aim to preemptively address risks in the storage and distribution process while strengthening post-management systems.

"We plan to broaden communication with stakeholders to ensure the new rules settle quickly in the field while continuing to develop measures that allow the public to drink bottled water with confidence," he added.