More than 150,000 Bottles of Water Recalled Due to Bacterial Contamination

If you live in Maryland, Virginia, or West Virginia, it may be time to get rid of your bottled water. Berkeley Club Beverages, a company based in Berkeley Spring, WV, has recalled 151,397.75 bottles of its product. According to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforcement report, if you’ve bought Berkeley Springs Water Purified or Berkeley Springs Water Distilled, your bottles could be contaminated with coliform bacteria. 

According to ScienceDirect, coliforms are rarely not linked to serious illness themselves, but their presence could mean that other pathogens “of fecal origin” that do cause diseases may be present. Specifically, the article goes on to say, “The presence of this organism may be an indicator of fecal contamination and be related to use of polluted irrigation water, the presence of feces, or poor sanitation and hygiene.”

The voluntary recall was first initiated on Sept. 12, and was terminated on Nov. 13, but if you bought water with the codes ​​090326, 090426, 090526, or 090626, your water is indeed part of the recall. 

How worried should you be? Don’t panic. On Nov. 8, the recall was given a Class III designation, which the FDA’s website says is, “a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences.” It is the least pressing designation. 

However, the FDA maintains a zero-tolerance policy for the bacteria, which could signal the presence of E. coli and other pathogens that can cause a serious risk to human health. E. coli  is noted to do anything from causing mild, brief diarrhea to severe, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. 

In late May, we reported on a giant, 1.9 million-bottle recall of Fiji Water. That recall was also a Class III.

Though Berkeley Springs’ isn’t instructing buyers on how to comply with the recall, we recommend that you dispose of your water immediately. The CDC advises that if you think your bottled water made you sick, to contact your health department to report it.