Bottled Water Recall Expanded Due to Contaminated Water Source

At least 14 brands of bottled water distributed throughout 15 different states in the U.S. are being recalled, after an operator failed to report evidence of E.coli bacteria contamination at the Pennsylvania spring source. 

Niagara Bottling has announced a bottled Spring Water recall expansion that includes certain brands collected from two Pennsylvania plants, after learning the spring source tested positive for E.coli contamination, posing a sickness hazard to consumers. To date, Niagara has not received any reports of illness in relation to the consumption of the recalled spring water.

The Niagara Spring Water recall originally began on June 20, when Wegman’s recalled certain “Food You Feel Good About” bottled water products due to a risk of E.coli bacteria. On June 22, Niagara Bottling added 13 more brands that may be impacted, out of an abundance of caution.

According to a statement on the Niagra Bottling company website, there has been a great deal of miscommunication and misinformation between the company and the Pennsylvania plant about the contamination, prompting the company to recall all products collected from that specific spring source.

Niagara Bottling reported that one of its suppliers, Far Away Springs, which run two separate Pennsylvania plants, failed to notify Niagara of a positive E.coli test result in the spring source. Niagara spokesman Stan Bratskeir, reported that Far Away Springs notified the Department of Environmental Control and the Department of Agriculture of the positive test result but failed to report the positive testing to Niagara Bottling LLC. Bratskeir also stated that Niagara has since terminated its relationship with Far Away Springs as a supplier.

The expanded recall now includes 14 different name brand spring water products produced at the Allentown and Hamburg, Pennsylvania manufacturing facilities from June 10 through June 18. The recalled brand names include “Acadia Spring Water”, “Acme Spring Water”, “Big Y Spring Water”, “Best Yet Spring Water”, “7-11 Spring Water”, “Niagara Spring Water”, “Nature’s Place Spring Water”, “Preicerite Spring Water”, “Superchill Spring Water”, “Morning Fresh Spring Water”, “Shaws Spring Water”, “Shoprite Spring Water”, “Western Beef Blue Spring Water”, and “Wegmans FYFGA Spring Water”.

Customers may identify the recalled bottled spring water by checking the outer wrap shrink-film or on the bottle for the affected cases with date ranges containing F# BEST BY 08Dec2016 to F# BEST BY 16 DEC2016, or A# BEST BY 08DEC2016 to A# BEST BY 16DEC2016. The F# at the beginning of the Best By dates represents the water was collected from the Hamburg plant and the A# indicates the Allentown plant.

Niagara Bottling LLC claims the recalled products were shipped to Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

For healthy individuals, E. Coli will typically cause mild to severe diarrhea and abdominal cramps, bloody stools, and sometimes minor fevers lasting between five and 10 days. Individuals such as young children or the sick and elderly may be affected more because of a weakened immune system where the contamination could lead to a condition called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) which could lead to kidney failure and even death.

Customers are being encouraged to check their bottled water to verify if it is part of the recall and to not drink the water without boiling it first kill the potential E.coli bacteria. Customers with further questions may contact Niagara bottling LLC at 877-487-7873.