Can I Get Five-Gallon Water jugs That Don't Leach BPA?

Gina Solomon responds:

Most five-gallon water jugs are made of polycarbonate, which leaches BPA, especially when they are stored at warm temperatures or for prolonged periods of time. BPA is an endocrine disruptor and in animal studies has been associated with reproductive abnormalities including lower sperm counts, hormonal changes, enlarged prostate glands and pre-cancerous changes in the breast and prostate.  
 
But some companies are responding to consumer demand for BPA-free plastic jugs and creating 5-gallon jugs made of polyethylene terephthalate, PET or PETE, marked with a number one. If you get your water from a distributor, call and ask them why they don’t have an alternative to polycarbonate jugs.  

Keep in mind that polycarbonate plastic bottles and food containers are just one potential source of the BPA in our bodies. BPA is also used in the resin that lines the inside of metal food and soda cans. Most people are probably exposed to more BPA from eating canned food or drinking canned soda than from drinking out of a polycarbonate bottle. BPA leaches out of the can liner into the food or drink, especially when the food is acidic such as tomato-based products or sodas.

A number of companies are transitioning to BPA-free packaging. Click here to learn more and to find out what you can do to reduce your exposure to BPA today. See also NRDC's fact sheet on bisphenol A (BPA)