2.

COMMODITY DESCRIPTIONS
2.1. Definition

Bottled water is drinking water, carbonated water, mineral water, distilled water, spring water,
artesian well water, or de-ionized water packaged in plastic bottles or glass bottled for
individual consumption and retail sale Size range from small single serving PET bottles to large
carboys for water coolers. The term bottled water doesn’t refer to one single product and even
the same designation can be used to qualify different products.

The water in such bottles can be from a variety of sources, from highly processed and treated
water to natural spring water, underground layer of rock or sand, to simply municipal or even
untreated water.

Natural water means no minerals or chemicals have been removed or added to the product, like
Nicolet Natural Artesian Water.

Purified refers to processes that remove chemicals and pathogens. Purified water has been
produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or other suitable processes that meet this
labeling definition. Some bottled water brands originated from a public tap water (municipal)
supply and were purified before bottling.

Some brands of bottled water have been processed or blended to meet a specific mineral
content.

2.2. Commodity Classification

The classification is based on harmonized system code (HS-codes) of international trade

statistics and the origin of water on which manufactures follow to label and give brand name for
their product. International trade center, trade statistics identified bottled water via two HS
codes as follows.

2201 code, waters including natural or artificial mineral waters and aerated waters not
containing added sugar, other sweetening matter or flavored.

2202 code, waters including natural waters and aerated waters, containing added sugar or other
sweetening matter or flavored and other non-alcoholic beverages (excluding fruit or vegetable
juices and milk).
And also the International Bottled Water Association considers the following categories of
bottled waters (IBWA, 2000) depending on its origin on which Bottle water manufacturers
follow to label their products.

Mineral water; It is “microbiologically wholesome water, originating from a geographically and

physically protected underground water table or deposit. It is not a raw product that cannot be
treated, i.e. disinfected, nor have any exogenous element such as additives or flavors or minerals
added into it.

Mineral water is water containing minerals dissolved into the water from the rocks it flows
through, trace elements including Cu++, Al, As, BO2-, Zn++, Br-, Co, Sr++, Fe++, Mn++, F-,
Si03 and mineral salts which are a combination of cations (Na+, K+, Mg++ , Ca++) and anions
(Cl-, HCO3-, or SO4--.) that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value. According to the
International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), this sort of water should not contain less than
250 parts per million (ppm) total dissolved solids or the total dissolved solids (minerals and
other trace elements) make up 250 mg/liter.

Because of its underground original state and preserved intact, it is protected from all risks of
pollution and composition must remain stable as well as must not be affected by possible
variations in the rate of flow. Natural mineral water is distinguished from other types of bottled
water by its constant level and relative proportions of mineral and trace elements.

Spring water; is underground water, protected against pollution hazards, microbiologically safe,
suitable for human consumption without any additional treatment, except those authorized such
as aeration. The IBWA understands spring water as “water derived from an underground
formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth”.

Spring water collected with the use of an external force only at the spring or through a bore hole
tapping the underground formation finding the spring .It doesn’t need to have a constant mineral
composition. The Consumption of this type of water is increasing, as it is generally cheaper than
natural mineral water.

Purified water; is water taken from rivers, lakes or underground springs that has undergone
some form of treatment. It can be produced by “distillation (a process of boiling the water and
then condensing the steam into a clean container to remove impurities, number of microscopic
contaminants along with dissolved minerals such as calcium and iron), deionization(a method of
removing mineral icons such as cat ion from sodium,calcium,iron and copper and bind to filter
out mineral salt from water), reverse osmosis (a filtration method that removes many types of
large molecules and ions from solutions by applying pressure to the solution) or by other
suitable processes. Since Purified water passed through this treatment, bottled distribution and
retail pricing it is different from municipal tap water. Some companies also market aerated
water by adding purified air on distilled water to improve its flavor.

2.3. Distilled Water

Bottled water that has been distilled does not contain the same impurities of other types of
water. Distilled water involves a process where the water being distributed is boiled, with the
steam being condensed in a clean container, neutralizing any harmful bacteria or substances.
Distilled water tends to be much cleaner than other types of water, with the distillation process
being more effective than conventional filtration systems for water purification. However, a
negative factor regarding distilled water is the lack of healthy minerals typically found in other
types of water, as they too, are eliminated with any harmful contents during the distillation
process.

2.4. Demonized Water

Deionized water, also referred to as demineralized water, is similar to distilled water, where
unwanted impurities are eliminated through the removal of mineral ions. Deionized water is
also similar to distilled water in that nutrients beneficial to the body, like calcium, are also
removed during the purification process. Both deionized water and distilled water fall under the
category of "purified" water.

Artesian water / artesian well water; is bottled water from a well that taps a confined aquifer (a
water-bearing underground layer of rock or sand) in which the water level stands at some height
above the top of the aquifer.

Drinking water is water that is sold for human consumption in sanitary containers and contains
no added sweeteners or chemical additives. It must be calorie-free and sugar-free but may be
sodium-free or contain very low amounts of sodium. Artificial Flavors, herbs, sweeteners may
be added to drinking water comprising less than one-percent-by-weight of the final product or
the product will be considered flavored water. In many cases, flavored waters add vitamins and
minerals to their beverages through the incorporation of fruits in order to better market their
products. Pepsi and coca-cola are the two well known brand owners of flavored water.

Sparkling water is water that after treatment and possible replacement with carbon dioxide
contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had at emergence from the source. Hence
carbon dioxide gas under pressure has been dissolved, a process that causes the water to become
effervescent/vibrant. Sparkling water is also known as Carbonated water, club soda, soda water,
seltzer, or fizzy water. Carbonated water is often drunk plain or mixed with fruit juice and is
defining ingredient of carbonated soft drinks. It is also mixed with alcoholic beverages to make
cocktails, such as Whisky and soda or Campari and soda. Flavored carbonated water differs
from carbonated water is that it contains flavors (usually sour fruit flavors such as lemon, lime,
cherry, orange, or raspberry) but no sweetener.

Well water is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or
drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers and drawn by an electric submersible
pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a mechanical pump or a hand pump. Well water is
typically contains more minerals in solution and may require treatment to soften the water by
removing minerals such as arsenic, iron and manganese.

2.5. History of Bottled Water in Ethiopia

The history of bottled water consumption in Ethiopia is not well known. The exact period is
unknown. Perhaps it might have begun during the Italian occupation tied with expansion of
food and beverage industry. However, bottled water production came into picture some 60 years
ago when the Ambo Mineral Water Bottling Factory was established. Since then, the growth of
this business manifested stagnant growth and very few (i.e. Ambo, Babile & Tosa mineral
water,) factories were established up to the introduction of the new Economic Reform Program
in 1992.
Waterborne diseases, diarrhea, typhoid and cholera, picked up when someone drinks from a
contaminated water source and tap water taste or quality, fitness objectives or safety purposes
and numerous reasons lead people to manufacture and consume bottled water.

Nowadays, bottled water is the most dynamic market in all the food and beverage industry and
drinking it has become a trivial habit in many people’s everyday live associated with increasing
urbanization and standards of living.

2.6. Ethiopian Bottled water quality standard

Because of the large number of possible hazards in drinking-water, the development of

standards for drinking-water requires significant resources and expertise. Some countries have
national standards for bottled water and some have national certificate. As common IBWA and
others provides comprehensive guidance for bottled water technical and federal regulations.

In a nutshell, Bottled Water Standards should be:

The Bottled Water must be Bacteria Free.
The Bottled Water must be hermetically sealed.

The Bottle must be labeled and the type of water must be declared along with a short list of all
possible contaminants, PH level.

The Bottled Water should be analyzed and tested for a given list of possible contaminants.