Is Niagara Bottled Water Safe? PFAS + Contaminant Testing Results (2026)
Niagara Bottling LLC brand. Purified tap with a 2015 E. coli recall; no published PFAS testing.
Quick answer
Niagara is purified water from Niagara Bottling LLC, bottled at Multiple US facilities (purified wells, springs, municipal). PFAS testing status: No public PFAS testing available. KnowYourExposure rates it C - Purified tap with a 2015 E. coli recall; no published PFAS testing. No bottled water is a reliable long-term PFAS fix: a certified reverse-osmosis or NSF 53 filter removes PFAS from any tap or bottled source for a fraction of the cost.
How we rate: we report published third-party testing, primarily Consumer Reports' 2020 bottled water PFAS investigation, plus brand-published water quality reports. We do not test products ourselves, and where no independent PFAS testing exists we say so rather than estimate.
Quick facts
- Trust rating
- C (Purified tap with a 2015 E. coli recall; no published PFAS testing)
- PFAS testing
- No public PFAS testing available
- Water type
- purified
- Bottled at
- Multiple US facilities (purified wells, springs, municipal)
- Parent company
- Niagara Bottling LLC
What we know about PFAS in Niagara
Niagara is one of the largest private-label bottlers in the US, producing purified water for its own brand and dozens of store labels using micron filtration, reverse osmosis, and ozone. Reverse osmosis removes PFAS effectively, but Niagara does not publish independent PFAS test results. In 2015 the company voluntarily recalled 14 spring-water store brands made at two Pennsylvania plants after a possible E. coli issue at the source, an event unrelated to PFAS with no reported illnesses.
Packaging and microplastics
PET plastic, often thin-gauge bottles. Standard single-use microplastic considerations apply.
Known issues, recalls & lawsuits
- 2015 voluntary E. coli recall across 14 private-label spring-water brands
- No published PFAS testing despite bottling a large share of US private-label water
- Purified municipal or well water sold at spring-water-adjacent prices
Safer alternatives to Niagara
- A home reverse-osmosis system matches Niagara's process for pennies per gallon
- A certified pitcher filter removes most municipal contaminants
- Brands that publish PFAS testing, like Mountain Valley
- Refill from filtered tap instead of buying single-use PET
Brands to compare: Kirkland Signature (rated B), Aquafina (rated C).
Frequently asked questions
- Does Niagara contain PFAS?
- Niagara is one of the largest private-label bottlers in the US, producing purified water for its own brand and dozens of store labels using micron filtration, reverse osmosis, and ozone. Reverse osmosis removes PFAS effectively, but Niagara does not publish independent PFAS test results. In 2015 the company voluntarily recalled 14 spring-water store brands made at two Pennsylvania plants after a possible E. coli issue at the source, an event unrelated to PFAS with no reported illnesses.
- Where is Niagara bottled?
- Niagara is bottled at Multiple US facilities (purified wells, springs, municipal). The parent company is Niagara Bottling LLC.
- Is Niagara safer than tap water?
- Not necessarily. Niagara is purified municipal tap water – the same source as your home tap, just filtered. A home reverse osmosis system produces equivalent water for $0.05/gallon.
- What's the safest alternative to Niagara?
- Mountain Valley Spring Water consistently tests clean for PFAS and is bottled in glass. For everyday use, a Clearly Filtered or AquaTru reverse osmosis system removes 99% of PFAS from any tap source for a fraction of the cost.
- Has Niagara been recalled?
- Yes – known issues include: 2015 voluntary E. coli recall across 14 private-label spring-water brands; No published PFAS testing despite bottling a large share of US private-label water.