The next time you pull a gallon of bottled water off the
supermarket shelf, consider this: Public health officials have
discovered an array of unsavory contaminants in bottled water
including arsenic, nitrates, industrial solvents and benzene, a
known carcinogen. In one recent federal survey, levels of
fluoride high enough to potentially cause skeletal deformities
and streaking of teeth were found in three popular brands,
including Calistoga mineral water, owned by the Perrier group
and distributed across 13 states. In a 1985 California state
report, consumers complained of finding mold, algae and insect
larvae in other brands. These reports reveal what no consumer
wants to hear -- that bottled water may be no safer or more
wholesome than tap water. Industry officials insist buyers are
getting a quality product and that reports of contamination are
overblown or unfounded. ``Producers are doing their damnedest to
produce a top quality water,`` responded Bob Pusey, a spokesman
for Calistoga Mineral Water. ``The