Yes. As supplied in a sealed vial, bacteriostatic water is sterile. It is manufactured from WFI-grade water, filled into sterile vials and tested for sterility (USP <71>), bacterial endotoxins (USP <85>, limit 0.5 EU/mL) and particulate matter (USP <788>) before release. The word “bacteriostatic” refers to something different: the 0.9% benzyl alcohol preservative that inhibits bacterial growth after the seal has been broken.
Sterile and bacteriostatic are two separate claims
Sterile means the contents are free of viable microorganisms at release, which is a property of the manufacturing process and the intact container. Bacteriostatic means the solution contains a preservative that stops bacteria from multiplying, which matters only once the stopper has been punctured. The preservative does not sterilize: it cannot make contaminated water sterile, and it does not kill organisms outright (that would be “bactericidal”). See what does bacteriostatic mean? and sterile vs. nonpyrogenic.
When sterility is no longer guaranteed
- The container closure is damaged: a lifted crimp, loose stopper, cracked glass, or a missing flip-off cap with signs of tampering. See container closure integrity.
- The vial has been punctured. From that point the contents are protected by the preservative and by the technique used at each entry, not by a sterility guarantee.
- The vial is past its expiration date.
How sterility is documented
The certificate of analysis for each lot reports the sterility test result (“no growth” or “complies”), the endotoxin result and the particulate results. See how to read a COA and how USP <71> sterility testing works.
Related
Is bacteriostatic water the same as sterile water? · Bacteriostatic water vs. sterile water
All BAC Water Supply products are supplied for laboratory research use only and are not for human or veterinary use.