How long bottled water keeps, and what can change its taste
Quick answer
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Room temperature
Keeps for indefinitely
Keep commercially bottled water in the pantry, out of sunlight and away from items that could affect its taste.
Commercially bottled water doesn't expire. USDA FoodKeeper says it keeps indefinitely in the pantry, though sunlight, items stored around it, and its container can change the taste. Federal regulations don't require a date on food products, except infant formula.
Buying bottled water this week?
On a Listonic list, every item gets the amount you need and a note on when to use it by.
- Quantity and unit on every item
- A note like “fridge, use within a week”
- One list shared with everyone at home
Commercially bottled water keeps indefinitely, according to USDA FoodKeeper. What can change is the taste, and that depends on how and where you store it.
The advice on this page is for commercially bottled water, the kind you buy at the store. It comes from USDA FoodKeeper and the USDA’s page on food product dating.
Does water expire?
No, commercially bottled water doesn’t expire. USDA FoodKeeper says it will store indefinitely in the pantry, and it gives no time limit.
The taste is a different story. Storage conditions can affect how bottled water tastes, including sunlight, the items stored around it, and the container it’s kept in.
How long does bottled water last?
Commercially bottled water lasts indefinitely in the pantry, according to USDA FoodKeeper. There’s no number of months or years to count, so storage conditions are the thing to watch.
How to store bottled water
Store bottled water in the pantry, out of sunlight and away from other items. Storage conditions affect its taste, not how long it keeps, which FoodKeeper puts at indefinitely. USDA FoodKeeper names three conditions that can change the taste.
- Sunlight
- Items stored around the water
- The containers used to store it
What changes the taste of bottled water?
Sunlight, the items stored around the water, and the container it’s kept in can all change the taste of bottled water, according to USDA FoodKeeper. They affect the taste only, not how long the water keeps.
How to store water long term
You can store commercially bottled water for the long term, since it keeps indefinitely in the pantry. Choose a spot out of sunlight and away from other stored items, so storage conditions don’t change the taste.
Does bottled water have to have a date?
No, federal regulations don’t require product dating, except on infant formula, according to the USDA’s page on food product dating. So a date on a bottle of water isn’t a federal requirement. USDA FoodKeeper still lists commercially bottled water as keeping indefinitely in the pantry.
Frequently asked questions
Does bottled water go bad?
Commercially bottled water doesn't go bad in storage, since USDA FoodKeeper says it keeps indefinitely. Its taste can change with sunlight, nearby items, and the container.
Can you drink bottled water past the date on the bottle?
USDA FoodKeeper lists commercially bottled water as keeping indefinitely in the pantry. Federal regulations don't require a date on food, except infant formula, so the date on a bottle isn't a safety deadline set by federal rules.
Does bottled water need to be refrigerated?
No, USDA FoodKeeper lists commercially bottled water for the pantry, where it keeps indefinitely.
Which food needs a date under federal rules?
Infant formula is the only food that federal regulations require to carry a product date, according to the USDA.
