MDA - Bottled Water Registration Step-by-Step Guide

This guide has been established to help guide potential manufacturers/distributors of bottled water through the process of developing and registering bottled water and water-dispensing machines.

It details the steps necessary to develop a water source with the intent of bottling for drinking purposes. Also included is information on registering bottled water dispensing machines.


Step 1:	For Bottled Water Manufacturers, contact the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), at 517/241-1371, for water source approval. Drinking Water & Radiological Protection Division MDEQ will provide onsite inspection if necessary, as well as evaluation of the water in question. MDEQ will then approve or reject the source. **All water sources must be approved by MDEQ prior to sale, or offering for sale, bottled water, whether the source is municipal, spring or well.

Step 2:	Manufacturers within the state of Michigan are required to obtain a Michigan Department of Agriculture Food Establishment License. Because bottling water is considered food processing, applicable laws and regulations must be followed. As one of your first steps, please view our Food Establishment Licensing Step-by-Step Guide, or contact the MDA Regional Office nearest you for further information on food establishment licensing.

Step 3:	Familiarize yourself with Michigan laws and regulations governing the production, sale and distribution of bottled water in the state of Michigan: Food Law of 2000 Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing or Holding Human Food, 21 CFR part 110 Processing and Bottling of Bottled Drinking Water, 21 CFR part 129 Standards of Identity, 21 CFR part 165 Consumer Pricing and Advertising Regulation Weights, Measures, Packaging and Labeling Regulation

Step 4:	Register the bottled water product and/or water-dispensing machine with the Michigan Department of Agriculture, Food and Dairy Division. Bottled Water Manufacturers: The bottled water manufacturer is required to register each brand and type of water that will be sold in Michigan. A brand of water for example is: “Jack’s Spring Water”, another brand would be: “Jane’s Spring Water”. Types of water for example would be: “Joe’s Spring Water”, and another type could be: “Joe’s Drinking Water”. If a firm manufactured all four of those items, they would be required to register 4 products, at $25.00 each for a total of $100. (Please note that the size of the container does not matter.) An example label or a proposed label needs to be included with your registration application. Further instructions are attached to the Bottled Water Registration Application (FI-152) form If your firm manufacturers more than 100 brands of Bottled Water please review and follow: “Special Instructions for Firms with over 100 Brands of Bottled Water”, on the Bottled Water Registration Application (FI-152) form. Water Dispensing Machines: The owner of a water-dispensing machine is required to register each machine before the water is offered for sale. Application with instructions may be found here: Water Dispensing Machine Registration Application (FI-153) form. If you are registering more than 4 machines at separate locations please use the attachment: Water Dispensing Machines at these (multiple)locations (FI-171a) form.

For further questions concerning bottled water or water-dispensing machine registration, please contact the regional office nearest you, or call or write: Michigan Department of Agriculture Food and Dairy Division P.O. Box 30017 Lansing, MI 48909 517/373-1060