(AP) - Many Americans buy bottled water because they think it's purer than tap water, but a new study may surprise them.

An environmental advocacy group says tests on leading brands of
bottled water have turned up a variety of contaminants often found in tap water. However, the study says all the brands met federal health standards for drinking water, and only two violated a California state standard.

An industry group branded the findings "alarmist." It says the study is based on the faulty premise that a contaminant is a health concern even if it's within regulatory limits.

The two-year study was done by the Washington-based Environmental Working Group, an organization founded by scientists that advocating stricter regulation.

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