Over the last decades there has been an increasing demand for water in bottles, cans,

etc.. This demand or trend, which has many reasons beyond the scope of this paper, has

drawn manufacturers' attention to the necessity for specialised filling techniques. One

particular problem that plagues the bottled water industry is the microbial quality of the

bottled products. In the more recent past, public attention has been drawn by various

articles referring to this growing problem that affects well known and lesser known

bottled water companies alike.

• Ozonation of the washing water used to clean the bottles prior to filling

• Ozonation of the actual product water

Use of ozone when bottling water

As previously mentioned, cleanliness is an important factor to enhance product quality.

In the past, bottling water plants have relied on high hygiene levels in conjunction with chlorine or chlorine based products for sanitation. Nowadays, more and more bottling companies are relying on the use of ozone to meet the ever increasing legislative and consumer demands. There are 2 possibilities to use ozone when bottling drinking water:

• Ozonation of the washing water used to clean the bottles prior to filling

• Ozonation of the actual product water