Maryland Code § HG-21-336

Section HG-21-336
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(a) (1) In this section, "approved source" means a source of water that is:
(i) Sampled and found through laboratory analysis to comply
with:
1. The microbiological standards adopted by the
Department, with testing on a monthly basis; and
2. The chemical and radiological standards adopted by
the Department, which shall meet or exceed the standards prescribed by the federal
Food and Drug Administration, with testing annually for chemical analyses and once
every 4 years for radiological analyses; and
(ii) If applicable, constructed and inspected in accordance with
regulations adopted by the Department of the Environment under §§ 9-204, 9-1305,
and 9-1306 of the Environment Article.
(2) "Approved source" includes:
(i) An artesian well;
(ii) A drilled well;
(iii) A glacier;
(iv) A public water supply;
(v) A spring; and
(vi) A source of mineral water that complies with the standards
specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection but fails to meet the standards with
respect to those properties of mineral water related to the limitations on chloride,
iron, manganese, sulfate, total dissolved solids, zinc, or any other exemptions listed
under 21 C.F.R. 165.110.

(3) The Department may approve a source that does not meet
standards regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency as a
secondary standard if the bottler shows by analysis that a particular treatment used
reduces the level of contaminants in the bottled water to a level below the maximum
contaminant level.
(b) The requirements of this section are in addition to any other provision
of law.
(c) Artesian water, mineral water, natural water, purified water, spring
water, well water, and any other type of bottled water shall meet the requirements
of the standard of identity for bottled water under 21 C.F.R. 165.110(a).
(d) (1) A person may not bottle water unless the person is licensed by the
Department under § 21-305 of this subtitle.
(2) The Department may not issue a license if the Department
determines that the water is:
(i) Not from an approved source; or
(ii) In any way injurious to the public health.
(3) To apply for a license to bottle water, a bottler shall:
(i) Submit an application to the Department on the form that
the Department requires;
(ii) List on the application form the types of bottled water that
the applicant proposes to bottle; and
(iii) Pay to the Department an annual fee established by the
Secretary under § 2-104 of this article.
(4) While it is effective, a license to bottle water authorizes a bottler
to bottle and sell in the State the types of bottled water identified in the license.
(e) (1) (i) A person who is licensed under this section shall submit to
the Department the results of:
1. Annual chemical and radiological analyses of a
representative sample of the person's source water and bottled water; and

2. A monthly microbiological analysis of a
representative sample of the source water and bottled water.
(ii) The analyses shall demonstrate that the source water and
bottled water comply with the chemical, radiological, and microbiological standards
adopted by the Department, which shall meet or exceed the standards prescribed by
the federal Food and Drug Administration.
(iii) 1. Except as otherwise required by law, mineral water
is not subject to the limitations on chloride, iron, manganese, sulfate, total dissolved
solids, zinc, or any other exemptions listed under 21 C.F.R. 165.110.
2. Bottled water may not exceed:
A. 10 parts per billion of total trihalomethanes;
B. 5 parts per billion of lead; or
C. 100 parts per billion of chlorine.
(2) (i) Analyses required under this subsection may be performed
by a laboratory certified by:
1. A state's Laboratory Certification Program in
accordance with the United States Environmental Protection Agency's primacy
conditions under the Agency's Public Water System Supervision Program; or
2. The United States Environmental Protection
Agency.
(ii) The Department shall accept analyses performed by any
laboratory authorized under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph.
(3) A person licensed or registered under this section shall:
(i) For at least 2 years, maintain all inspection and sampling
records at the person's principal place of business; and
(ii) Make inspection and sampling records available to the
Department upon request.
(4) Notwithstanding the analyses required under paragraph (1) of
this subsection, the Department may sample and analyze any bottled water.

(5) The provisions of this subsection do not prevent the Department
from prohibiting the use or sale of bottled water in the State, if, in the judgment of
the Department:
(i) The water is shown by analysis to be unfit for drinking;
(ii) The water has been misbranded under § 21-210 of this
title; or
(iii) Its quality is in any way injurious to the public health.
(f) Bottled water in individual containers shall be marked on each
container with a stencil, stamp, or label that clearly indicates:
(1) The identifying batch code for the water; and
(2) In compliance with subsection (g) of this section, the type of water
and any additional ingredients.
(g) Labeling of the type of bottled water and any additional ingredients, as
required under subsection (f) of this section, shall conform to the labeling
requirements for bottled water under 21 C.F.R. 165.110(a).
(h) In accordance with regulations adopted by the Department, a person
licensed under this section shall establish written procedures and implement those
procedures to:
(1) Prevent contamination during the processing, packaging,
transportation, or storage of bottled water; and
(2) Recall bottled water when the person, the Department, or any
other government agency determines that a supply is injurious in any way to the
public health.
(i) The Department may suspend or revoke a license issued under this
section if the licensee:
(1) Violates or fails to satisfy any requirement of this title or any
regulation adopted under this title; or
(2) Fraudulently or deceptively obtains a license.
(j) (1) In addition to any other penalty applicable at law, a person who
violates any provision of this section shall be liable for a civil penalty of:

(i) Not less than $1,000 and not more than $5,000 for a first
offense; and
(ii) Not less than $5,000 and not more than $10,000 for a
second offense within 2 years of the first offense.
(2) Each day on which a violation occurs constitutes a separate
offense.
(k) By October 1, 2008, the Department shall adopt regulations to
implement the provisions of this section.
(l) (1) The Department shall establish a Bottled Water Advisory
Committee to advise and assist the Department in the development and adoption of
the regulations required under subsection (k) of this section.
(2) The Advisory Committee shall consist of the following
representatives:
(i) The Secretary of Health or the Secretary's designee, who
shall serve as chairman of the Advisory Committee;
(ii) The Secretary of the Environment or the Secretary's
designee;
(iii) A hydrogeologist;
(iv) At least two individuals from the bottled water processing
industry;
(v) At least one individual from the bottled water distribution
industry;
(vi) At least one individual from the environmental community
or consumer advocacy community; and
(vii) At least one consumer of bottled water.

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