Is There BPA in Water Bottles?

It can be, in bottles made of polycarbonate plastic. The FDA says BPA is a structural component in polycarbonate beverage bottles and a component of metal can coatings, and that it has been used in food packaging since the 1960s.

US and European regulators have reached different conclusions. The FDA’s position, after a four-year review of more than 300 studies completed in 2014, is that the available information continues to support BPA’s currently approved uses in food containers and packaging. In 2023 the European Food Safety Authority concluded that dietary exposure to BPA is a health concern for consumers of all ages, and cut its tolerable daily intake to 0.2 nanograms per kilogram of body weight per day, from a temporary level of 4 micrograms.

Taking that assessment into account, the European Commission adopted a ban in December 2024 under which BPA will not be allowed in products that come into contact with food or drink, including reusable plastic drink bottles, the coating on metal cans and water distribution coolers.

Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.

The sources behind this answer

  • Government sourceThe FDA says BPA is a structural component in polycarbonate beverage bottles and a component in metal can coatings, and that it has been used in food packaging since the 1960s. US FDA ↗
  • Government sourceThe FDA says the available information continues to support the safety of BPA for its currently approved uses in food containers and packaging, and that it will update its assessment and act if warranted. US FDA ↗
  • Government sourceIn fall 2014 FDA experts completed a four-year review of more than 300 scientific studies on BPA, and the FDA says it found no information prompting a revision of its assessment of BPA in food packaging. US FDA ↗
  • Government sourceIn 2023 the European Food Safety Authority set a tolerable daily intake for BPA of 0.2 nanograms per kilogram of body weight per day, replacing a temporary level of 4 micrograms per kilogram. European Food Safety Authority ↗
  • Government sourceEFSA’s experts concluded in 2023 that dietary exposure to BPA is a health concern for consumers across all age groups, and identified potentially harmful effects on the immune system. European Food Safety Authority ↗
  • Regulatory filingThe European Commission adopted a ban in December 2024 under which BPA is not allowed in products that contact food or drink, including reusable plastic drink bottles, metal can coatings and water distribution coolers. European Commission ↗

Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.

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