Can you use bottled water to make formula?

What the evidence says

Yes, you can use bottled water to make formula. Canadian guidance actually recommends bottled water over tap water if you are ever unsure whether your tap water is safe to drink.

Here's the part that surprises a lot of parents: bottled water is not sterile just because it's sealed, and powdered formula itself isn't sterile either. Health Canada and HealthLink BC recommend boiling the water and keeping it at 70 degrees Celsius when you mix it with powdered formula, and this applies even if the water came from a bottle. That heat kills germs that can sometimes be in powdered formula.

One thing to think about with bottled water is fluoride. Fluoride helps prevent cavities, but too much of it before a child's permanent teeth come in can cause faint white marks on teeth called fluorosis, which is usually mild and just cosmetic. Some bottled waters have little or no fluoride, while others, especially ones marketed for nursery use, can contain more. If you want to avoid fluoride exposure before your baby's first tooth appears, look for bottled water labelled as purified, distilled, or deionized, since these have little or no fluoride.

If your tap water might contain something boiling can't fix, like nitrates from farm runoff or contamination after a flood, don't boil it. Use bottled water with an unopened seal instead, since boiling nitrate-contaminated water actually makes it more concentrated, not safer.

Bottom line: bottled water is a safe and normal choice for making formula. Just remember to still heat it properly for powdered formula, and if fluorosis is a concern for you, choose a low-fluoride bottled water and mention it to your dentist.