Class Action Lawsuit Claims Mountain Valley Spring Water Contaminated with Carcinogens

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A proposed class action lawsuit alleges that Mountain Valley Spring Water contains multiple carcinogens despite claims of exceptional purity and healthfulness.

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The 47-page lawsuit claims that despite being advertised as “the very best bottled water you can drink,” “purely sourced,” “exceptionally healthful” and “free of pollutants,” Mountain Valley Spring Water was found to contain uranium, arsenic and bromoform—none of which are safe for human consumption in any concentration or amount, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Independent lab testing also allegedly found cadmium in the water at a concentration that, while within federal EPA benchmarks, is twice the limit set forth in California’s stricter Public Health Goal.

These chemicals, the complaint says citing the EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, have been linked to various health effects and conditions, which, depending on the specific substance, may include:

• An increased risk of bladder, skin and lung cancers;
• Adverse pregnancy outcomes such as neurodevelopmental effects and low birth weight;
• Cardiovascular disease;
• Kidney damage;
• Liver damage; and
• Bone demineralization.

The complaint claims that the presence of bromoform, in particular, may indicate the use of chemical filtration and processing methods, as bromoform is a byproduct of the chlorination of organic materials. A chlorine-based treatment, the suit says, would directly contradict Mountain Valley’s claims of “3,500-year natural filtration” and lack of additives and chemicals.

The lawsuit also contends that Mountain Valley may have actively attempted to obscure knowledge of its alleged water contamination and chemical processing methods in the past, such as when they claimed a major supply shortage at the same time certain posts and videos went viral on various social media platforms, including TikTok, about independent testing revealing Mountain Valley Spring Water was contaminated.

“The suspicious timing suggests Defendants may have voluntarily restricted distribution to manage the crisis while maintaining their premium pricing and ‘purely sourced’ marketing claims – choosing to deceive remaining customers rather than admit the truth about their water.”

The case cites several potential sources of contamination, including mining operations that may disturb geological formations containing arsenic and uranium, waste management facilities, and several industrial facilities such as power plants and nuclear facilities that are relatively nearby the Mountain Valley source.

Additionally, the filing writes, Mountain Valley “may have manipulated their public disclosures or strategically decided to stop releasing lab reports to conceal the contamination they knew about,” including by not reporting any of the at-issue contaminants in its 2023 water quality report, which was the last one published.

“Meanwhile, independent analysis by the Oasis Health App in 2025, which ranks tests from over 600 bottled waters, ranks Mountain Valley at 55/100 – in the bottom 25% of all brands tested,” the suit adds. “Remarkably, Defendants’ own budget brand, Primo Spring Water, scores 68/100, proving Defendants can produce cleaner water but choose not to for their ‘premium’ product.”

Ultimately, the case argues that Mountain Valley knew or should have known that its bottled water was contaminated and that consumers would not have purchased the spring water—or at least would not have paid a premium price—had they known about the alleged presence of carcinogens.

The Mountain Valley class action lawsuit, filed against Primo Water Corporation, Primo Water North America, Inc., and Mountain Valley Spring Company, LLC, seeks to represent anyone in the U.S. who purchased glass bottles of Mountain Valley Spring Water from a retail store for personal, household or family use between June 7, 2023 and the date of class certification.

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