Berkeley Springs Water Recall: What Happened?
Ever grab a jug of bottled water, thinking it’s the safest bet? That routine got turned upside down for thousands of people in West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia after Berkeley Springs Water—a well-known regional brand—announced a recall of more than 151,000 bottles following the detection of coliform bacteria. The voluntary recall covers both purified and distilled versions in 1-gallon and 5-gallon containers, specifically those marked with batch codes 090326, 090426, 090526, and 090626.
The problem came to light after the company’s routine quality checks flagged the issue in early September. Just to be clear, coliforms aren’t the sort of germs that outright make you sick every time, but their presence is a red flag for possible contamination—think unwanted stuff from the environment or digestive systems making its way into your drink. By November 8, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had applied a Class III recall tag, meaning the risk to health is considered low, but these products still violate safety regulations.
What Does the Recall Mean For You?
If you bought any Berkeley Springs Water with those specific codes, take it seriously: don’t drink, cook, or use it for making baby formula. Coliform bacteria themselves typically don’t cause illness in healthy adults, but their presence hints that better, more robust sanitary controls are needed in the bottling process. Contaminated water can be particularly concerning for young children, seniors, and anyone with a weakened immune system—even small risks aren’t worth taking. The company is telling everyone to stop using the bottles and contact them for further steps on returns or refunds.
The lot codes—printed near the cap or on the label—are your best bet to know if your jug’s been affected. People often don’t think twice about water they pour from a big bottle at home or work. The sheer number—151,397 gallons—shows how wide this could spread in local homes and businesses. It’s not the first bottled water scare this year, either. Just a few months before, a recall of Fiji Natural Artesian Water made headlines after manganese and bacterial contamination concerns surfaced, reminding folks that even trusted brands can have lapses.
If you’re worried about what coliform in your water means, here’s the gist: it’s usually a signal that production lines, storage tanks, or transportation methods need stricter cleaning and testing. Most bottled water makers have systems to catch problems early, but mistakes still get through—especially in aging facilities or during equipment failures.
Anyone with questions or affected products can reach out directly to Berkeley Club Beverages for advice on what to do next. This recall is a wake-up call for more transparency in the bottling industry and a reminder to check labels—even on products as basic as water. Until then, when it comes to the water in your fridge, a quick double-check for those codes could save you a headache—or at least serve as a sharp reminder that safety matters, even with the simplest products.