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Bottled Water Standards in South Africa

This National Bottled Water Standards site was designed to serve small businesses who are doing cost analysis with the intention of entering the Bottled Water Industry in South Africa, without having to outlay large amounts of money.

The Bottled Water industry in South Africa can be extremely lucrative with an expected annual growth rate of 25% expected for the next decade according to recent research done.

Current Bottled Water Standards and Government Regulations in South Africa are very Lax with no official body having the authority and teeth to enforce or police the requirements. Any standards that are being adhered to are purely voluntary. While this makes this industry particularly attractive as a small business venture it also leaves and enormous opportunity open to unscrupulous operators supplying the public with sub standard quality of Bottled Water.

 

Bottled Water Standards in a "Nutshell"

1. The Bottled Water must be Bacteria Free.
2. The Bottled Water must be hermetically sealed.
3. The Bottle must be labelled and the type of water must be declared along with a short list of 11 possible contaminants, PH level and TDS levels in mg/l (milligram per liter).
4. The Bottled Water should be analysed and tested for a given list of possible contaminants.
5. No guidelines or regulations about preparation standards or cleanliness.
   

R880 Million in Bottled Water Sales Expected

The estimated market value of South Africa’s bottled mineral-water market is R880-million and the growth potential is enormous.

In 2003 the South African bottled mineral-water market grew by an estimated 20%. This volume includes consumption from all sectors, such as retail, wholesale & imports. With an expected yearly increase of 25% per annum for the foreseeable future.

“The growth rate of bottled water surpasses that of other beverages – clearly indicating a more health-conscious market,”

As the mineral-water market matures and develops, people more often consume bottled mineral-water at home, justifying the growing popularity of retailers as a distribution outlet contributing nearly half of the total volume consumed.

The market growth can be attributed to two clearly-defined factors, which are becoming increasingly important in today’s society: these are health and convenience. Besides these two factors there are others which influence the growth of the water sector.

Traditionally, sparkling water was the preferred option; however, still water has come to the fore with an increasing number of competitors in the market.

Currently, still water captures a 76% share of the market. Interestingly, flavoured water is experiencing good growth and is already capturing a 21% market share. Flavoured water is expected to garner greater market share over the next couple of years.
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Filtration & Purification Equipment necessary for the Processing Bottled Water

Naturally, with guidelines such as these it should be relatively inexpensive to start a small Bottled Water processing facility. Certainly it is currently acceptable to supply processed or filtered tap water.

While Reverse Osmosis is used by some of the bigger names in the industry as this process provides the purest form of bottled water, it is not a requirement. Reverse Osmosis is expensive in a lot of ways to start with not least of all the loss ratio of 3-4 litres of waste water to every 1 litre of pure water produced. Maintenance and replacement of filtration becomes a costly endeavour as will be pointed out in further articles.

That leaves the practical possibility of using domestic filtration and reverse Osmosis purification to kick-start a small water bottling facility. Micro operations can start off with domestic filter systems and modify them slightly and be able to produce up to 5000 l/pd.

Here is a company which sells Domestic & Light Commercial Water Filtration & Purification equipment at Wholesale Price to the Public.

Advantages of Bottled Drinking Water

During the summer, more water is consumed than any other time of the year. It is a time when everyone tries to stay hydrated and healthy while participating in various summer events. A bottle of cool, clear water offers optimum refreshment with the least amount of calories.

Bottled drinking water is something that not everyone considers since water is free from the sink in your home, but bottled drinking water can not only be more convenient, it may also taste better in addition to being better for you.

Tap water is put through a chemical process before it reaches your home. Many people have heard about water treatment plants in the news. They often make headlines when something ends up in the water supply that shouldn't be there.

Bottled drinking water is perfect for family vacations, road trips, camping trips, or even day trips to the beach. Although you can contain water from home yourself, it is probably easier to travel with if you have sealed bottles of drinking water. They can also be easily tossed into a cooler with ice, which allows you to have a chilled drink whenever you desire.

Bottled Water Standards for Bottled Water and Still Waters are there for your protection