PRIVATE LAUNCH PREVIEW · SCIENCE • PERFORMANCE • EVOLUTION
For research purposes only · Not for human consumption · You must be 21+ to purchase
Home / Bacteriostatic Water

Bacteriostatic Water & Reconstitution Solution

⚠ RESEARCH USE ONLY — Laboratory supplies. Not for human or animal consumption.

Bacteriostatic water — often shortened to bac water — is a sterile, non-pyrogenic reconstitution solution with 0.9% benzyl alcohol preservative, USP grade. Supplied in 3 mL and 10 mL vials for laboratory use, with a certificate of analysis available for every lot. Orders placed before 12PM ET ship the same business day from the USA.

Preservative
0.9% benzyl alcohol
Grade
USP, non-pyrogenic
Sizes
3 mL · 10 mL
Ships from
United States

Available now

In stock and shipped from the USA. Same-day dispatch before 12PM ET.

What it is

Bacteriostatic water is sterile water that contains 0.9% benzyl alcohol as a preservative. The benzyl alcohol inhibits the growth of bacteria in the vial, which is what allows a prepared solution to be stored and accessed more than once rather than discarded after a single use.

Sterile water, by contrast, contains no preservative at all. It is equally sterile in a sealed vial, but once that seal is broken it offers no ongoing protection, so it is conventionally treated as single-use. The choice between the two comes down to whether the vial will be accessed once or repeatedly.

Why researchers buy from us

Every lot ships with third-party documentation, and our full certificate library is public — you can search it before you order, not after. Same-day dispatch before 12PM ET, tracked shipping, and a support address that a person actually answers.

Storage and handling

Unopened vials are stored at controlled room temperature, away from direct light and freezing. In laboratory practice, a vial is dated on first puncture and used within the window defined by the laboratory’s own SOP; any punctured vial showing cloudiness, discoloration or particulates is discarded. Always draw through the septum with a fresh sterile needle — never remove the crimp cap.

What “USP grade” means

USP grade indicates the water meets the purity and quality specifications published in the United States Pharmacopeia monograph: sterile, non-pyrogenic, and containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol as the bacteriostatic preservative. Every lot we ship is accompanied by a third-party certificate of analysis you can verify in our public library.

Frequently asked

What is bacteriostatic water?

Sterile water containing 0.9% benzyl alcohol as a preservative. The preservative inhibits bacterial growth, which is why a prepared solution can be kept longer than one made with plain sterile water.

How is it different from sterile water?

Sterile water has no preservative and is conventionally treated as single-use once opened. Bacteriostatic water is designed for a vial that will be accessed more than once.

What sizes do you supply?

3 mL and 10 mL vials. Orders placed before 12PM ET ship the same business day from the USA.

How should bacteriostatic water be stored?

Unopened vials at controlled room temperature, away from direct light. Once punctured, a vial is dated and used within the window defined by the laboratory’s own SOP; discard it if the contents turn cloudy or show particulates.

Is this for human or animal use?

No. Everything supplied by Claude Aminos is for laboratory and research use only and is not for human or animal consumption. You must be 21 or older to purchase.

Laboratory tools and references