By Jessica Miller · Brand Reviews Lead · Reviewed by Dr. Emily Carter, Hydration & Nutrition Editor · Updated
Our team has tracked independent PFAS testing across bottled water brands since 2020, and we cross-check every figure against the original lab report rather than secondary coverage.
If you are looking for bottled water without PFAS, the honest starting point is that most brands contain trace amounts — the question is how much, and which brands have published independent numbers to prove their claims. Consumer Reports’ 2020 analysis of 47 bottled water products remains the most comprehensive independent dataset, and it found still waters test dramatically cleaner than sparkling: only two of 35 still waters exceeded 1 part per trillion. This guide ranks every still water brand with real test data, explains why purified waters beat spring waters, and covers the popular brands that have never been independently tested at all.
Bottled Water PFAS Rankings — Every Still Brand With Published Data
These figures come from Consumer Reports’ 2020 testing of 47 bottled waters (35 of them still), which measured 30 different PFAS compounds, plus brand-published verification where independently documented. Lower is better.
| Rank | Brand | Total PFAS (ppt) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Icelandic Glacial | Non-detect (brand-verified) | Spring (Iceland) |
| 2 | Essentia | 0.2 | Purified + electrolytes |
| 3 | Evian | ~0.3 | Natural spring (France) |
| 4 | Dasani | ~0.4 | Purified |
| 5 | Fiji | ~0.5 | Artesian (Fiji) |
| 6 | Aquafina | ~0.5 | Purified |
| 7 | Mountain Valley | Clean record | Spring (Arkansas) |
| 8 | Nestlé Pure Life | ~1.0 | Purified |
| 9 | Deer Park | ~1.2 | Spring |
| 10 | Poland Spring | 1.66 | Spring (Northeast US) |
Brands with no published independent PFAS data
Voss, Kirkland Signature, Gerolsteiner, Smartwater and several other major brands were not included in the Consumer Reports analysis and have not published independent third-party results. This does not mean they are contaminated — but it does mean nobody outside the company can verify their levels. Treat “untested” as unknown, not as clean.
Why Purified Waters Test Lower Than Spring Waters
This is the pattern that surprises most people. In Consumer Reports’ data, purified waters consistently tested near the bottom of the PFAS range, while spring waters occupied most of the higher readings — including the highest still-water result, Poland Spring at 1.66 ppt.
- Purified water is treated aggressively. Reverse osmosis and similar processes strip out most PFAS along with everything else — which is why brands like Essentia (0.2 ppt) and Dasani test so low regardless of their source water.
- Spring water is bottled close to its natural state. Whatever the aquifer holds travels into the bottle. A pristine source like Iceland’s Ölfus Spring tests clean; a source in a more industrialized region can carry measurable background PFAS.
The counterintuitive result: the “more natural” product is often the less filtered one. That doesn’t make spring water bad — it makes the source everything. Our guide to spring water vs purified water covers the processing difference in detail.
How to Read These Numbers
A ppt figure only means something relative to a threshold, and there are several in play:
- 4 ppt — EPA’s 2024 legally enforceable limit for PFOA and PFOS individually in drinking water. No tested still bottled water exceeds this.
- 5 ppt single / 10 ppt multiple — International Bottled Water Association voluntary standard. All tested brands comply.
- 1 ppt — Environmental Working Group’s precautionary guideline. Only two of 35 tested still waters exceeded this.
Context that should temper any alarm: the FDA surveyed 197 bottled water products in April 2025 and found zero samples exceeding EPA limits. Still bottled water as a category is the cleanest segment of the market — the debate is only about whether current standards are conservative enough.
The Batch Variance Problem
Single-sample testing has a real limitation that gets lost when these numbers circulate as brand rankings. Consumer Reports tested one sample per brand. PFAS levels can vary across production batches, bottling plants and — for spring waters — even seasons at the same source.
The practical implication: use these rankings to identify general tiers rather than treating a 0.3 vs 0.5 gap as meaningful.
- Tier 1 (under 0.6 ppt): Icelandic Glacial, Essentia, Evian, Dasani, Fiji, Aquafina
- Tier 2 (1.0–2 ppt): Nestlé Pure Life, Deer Park, Poland Spring
- Unknown (no published data): Voss, Kirkland, Gerolsteiner, Smartwater
A brand consistently in Tier 1 is a reasonable choice; obsessing over decimal differences within a tier is not.
Essentia Purified Water (0.2 ppt tested)
The lowest-tested still water with an exact published figure — 0.2 ppt, twenty times below the EPA limit. Reverse-osmosis purified with electrolytes added, 9.5 pH.
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The approach that actually solves this: Brand-switching moves you between 0.2 and 1.66 ppt. A reverse osmosis system certified to NSF/ANSI 58 removes 94-99% of PFAS from your tap water, at roughly $0.05 per liter versus $1.50-4.00 for bottled. See our best reverse osmosis systems and PFAS filter guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which bottled water has no PFAS?
Icelandic Glacial publishes verification reports showing non-detect results, and Essentia tested at just 0.2 ppt in independent analysis — the lowest exact figure of any still water. No bottled water can be guaranteed permanently PFAS-free, since levels vary by batch.
Does Essentia have PFAS?
Essentia tested at 0.2 ppt total PFAS — twenty times below the EPA’s 4 ppt enforceable limit and one of the lowest results of any bottled water. Its reverse-osmosis purification is the reason: the process strips PFAS regardless of source water.
Is Poland Spring safe to drink?
Yes, by every enforceable standard. Poland Spring tested at 1.66 ppt — the highest of tested still waters, but well below the EPA’s 4 ppt limit. It exceeds only the Environmental Working Group’s stricter 1 ppt precautionary guideline.
Why do spring waters test higher for PFAS than purified waters?
Spring water is bottled close to its natural state, so whatever the aquifer carries travels into the bottle. Purified water goes through reverse osmosis or similar treatment that strips most PFAS out. The source aquifer determines everything for spring brands.
Is 1 ppt of PFAS dangerous?
It is below every enforceable standard. The EPA’s 2024 limit is 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS individually. The 1 ppt figure is the Environmental Working Group’s precautionary guideline, which is stricter than any regulation currently in force.
Which bottled water brands have never been independently tested?
Voss, Kirkland Signature, Gerolsteiner and Smartwater have no published independent PFAS measurements. That does not mean they are contaminated — but no one outside those companies can verify their levels. Untested is unknown, not clean.
Should I stop drinking bottled water because of PFAS?
For most people, no. The FDA’s April 2025 survey of 197 bottled waters found zero exceeding EPA limits, and still waters test cleaner than sparkling. If you drink bottled water daily and want minimum exposure, choose a Tier 1 brand with published data.
What removes PFAS from water at home?
A reverse osmosis system certified to NSF/ANSI 58 removes 94-99% of PFAS — more than the difference between any two bottled brands. Certified activated-carbon filters (NSF 53) also reduce PFAS meaningfully at lower cost.
Sources: Consumer Reports bottled water PFAS testing (2020, 47 products, 30 compounds); EPA PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (April 2024); FDA bottled water PFAS survey (April 2025, 197 products); Environmental Working Group precautionary guideline; NSF/ANSI 53 & 58 filter certification standards. Last updated July 2026.
Affiliate disclosure: as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases; commissions never affect our assessments.
The Bottom Line
If you want the lowest-PFAS still bottled water available, the data points to Icelandic Glacial, Essentia and Evian — all at or under roughly 0.3 ppt, with exact published figures or verification reports behind them. Poland Spring sits at the top of the tested range at 1.66 ppt, which is fine by every enforceable standard but above the strictest precautionary guideline. But the honest answer is that brand-switching has limits. Several major brands have never been independently tested, single samples don’t capture batch variance, and the difference between the best and worst tested still waters is smaller than what a certified home filter removes. If truly PFAS-free water is your goal, filtering your own water is the only route that gives you a number you can actually trust.
