Pure Life water is safe to drink. It meets FDA standards for bottled water, tested low for heavy metals and PFAS in independent testing by Consumer Reports, and comes in BPA-free packaging. For most people, it’s a perfectly fine everyday drinking water.
That said, “safe” can mean different things depending on what you’re concerned about, whether that’s chemical contaminants, plastic packaging, or what’s actually in the water after purification. Here’s what the testing and labeling actually show.
What’s in the Water
Pure Life is purified water, meaning it starts as a municipal or well source and goes through additional filtration before bottling. The brand uses a multi-step process that can include reverse osmosis, carbon filtration, and UV purification. These steps remove most dissolved solids, chlorine, bacteria, and common contaminants that might be present in the source water.
After purification, some versions of Pure Life have minerals added back for taste. This is standard practice for purified bottled water. Without those trace minerals (typically calcium, magnesium, or sodium compounds), purified water can taste flat. The amounts are small and nutritionally insignificant, but they round out the flavor so it doesn’t taste like distilled water.
PFAS and Heavy Metal Levels
PFAS, sometimes called “forever chemicals,” are one of the bigger concerns people have about any drinking water. These synthetic compounds don’t break down easily in the environment or in your body, and they’ve been linked to immune and hormonal problems at higher exposures.
When Consumer Reports tested dozens of bottled water brands, Pure Life landed in the lower PFAS category, staying below 1 part per trillion. For context, the EPA’s current advisory levels for certain PFAS compounds are set at 4 parts per trillion, so Pure Life came in well under that threshold. The brand also showed lower heavy metal levels in the same round of testing. That puts it in a better position than several other popular bottled water brands that exceeded the 1 ppt benchmark Consumer Reports used.
Is the Plastic Bottle Safe?
Pure Life’s single-serve bottles (1.5 liters and smaller) are made from PET plastic, the type marked with a “1” recycling symbol. PET is the most common food-grade plastic and is considered safe for single-use food and beverage contact by the FDA. All of their bottles from 8 ounces up to 3 liters are BPA-free, including those made from recycled PET. For larger containers of 3 gallons or more, the company’s BPA-free guarantee does not apply, which is worth noting if you buy in bulk.
The broader question about microplastics in bottled water is harder to answer. Studies have found microplastic particles in many bottled water brands, and the health effects of ingesting those particles over time are still not well understood. Consumer Reports’ testing of Pure Life did not include microplastic counts, and the company hasn’t publicly released its own data on this. This isn’t unique to Pure Life. It’s an industry-wide gap in transparency.
Who Owns Pure Life Now
Pure Life was originally a Nestlé brand. In 2021, Nestlé sold its North American water portfolio to BlueTriton Brands, a company backed by the private equity firm One Rock Capital Partners and Metropoulos & Co. BlueTriton also owns Poland Spring, Deer Park, Ozarka, Ice Mountain, Zephyrhills, and Arrowhead. More recently, BlueTriton agreed to merge with Primo Water Corporation to form a larger hydration-focused company.
Ownership changes can raise legitimate questions about whether quality standards shift. In this case, there’s no public evidence that the purification process or safety protocols changed after the transition from Nestlé to BlueTriton. The brand still operates under FDA bottled water regulations, which require regular testing for over 90 contaminants.
How It Compares to Tap Water
In most U.S. cities, tap water is also safe to drink and is regulated by the EPA under standards that are, in many cases, stricter than the FDA’s rules for bottled water. Tap water utilities are required to publish annual water quality reports. Bottled water companies face no equivalent public disclosure requirement, though many voluntarily share test results.
Pure Life’s main advantage over tap water is consistency. If you live in an area with aging pipes, high lead levels, or water advisories, bottled water like Pure Life provides a reliable alternative. If your tap water already tests clean, the practical safety difference is minimal. The bigger factor at that point is taste preference and convenience.
For people relying on Pure Life as their primary water source long-term, the one consideration worth tracking is the microplastics question. Filtering tap water at home with a reverse osmosis or activated carbon system gives you comparable purity to bottled water without the plastic container, which may matter if microplastic exposure is something you want to minimize.