Short answer: the price of a water bottling line depends mainly on five things: the output you need (bottles per hour), the bottle sizes, which machines are included (water treatment, bottle blowing, filling, labelling, packing), the level of automation, and the materials and component brands. Installation, training and shipping are the smaller part of the budget. ServoLines builds complete lines from 2,000 to 48,000 bottles per hour, so the fastest way to an accurate price is to tell us your daily target and bottle sizes.
1. Output: bottles per hour
Output drives the size of every machine in the line. A bigger 3-in-1 water filling machine has more rinsing, filling and capping heads, and the blowing, labelling and packing machines must keep up with it. Start from your daily target: a 10-hour shift at 5,000 bottles per hour makes about 50,000 bottles a day.
| Filling machine | Heads (rinse/fill/cap) | Output (bottles/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| SVW8-8-3 | 8/8/3 | 2,500–3,000 |
| SVW14-12-5 | 14/12/5 | 4,000–5,000 |
| SVW18-18-6 | 18/18/6 | 6,000–8,000 |
| SVW24-24-8 | 24/24/8 | 10,000–12,000 |
| SVW32-32-10 | 32/32/10 | 12,000–14,000 |
2. Bottle sizes and shapes
Standard filling machines handle PET bottles from 250 ml to 2 L. Every extra bottle size needs its own change parts on the filler and its own mould on the blowing machine, so three bottle sizes cost more than one. Large formats such as 5 gallon need a separate line.
3. Which machines are in the line
A complete turnkey line usually includes:
- Water treatment (reverse osmosis), sized to your raw water analysis
- PET bottle blowing machine, or bought-in bottles if you prefer not to blow your own
- 3-in-1 rinsing, filling and capping machine
- Labelling machine: hot melt glue OPP or shrink sleeve
- Date/code printer
- Shrink film packing machine
Leaving out blowing (buying empty bottles) lowers the first investment but raises the cost of every bottle you sell. For most plants above a few thousand bottles per hour, blowing your own bottles pays back.
4. Level of automation
Semi-automatic machines (for example semi-automatic bottle blowers at 900–2,000 bottles per hour) cost less but need more operators. Fully automatic servo machines cost more but run faster with fewer people and more consistent quality. Your local labour cost decides which is cheaper over five years.
5. Materials and components
Contact parts in SUS304 stainless steel and electrical components from well-known international brands cost more at the start but make spare parts easy to find in your local market and keep the line running longer.
6. Installation, training, warranty and shipping
ServoLines engineers install and commission the line on site and train your operators. Machines carry a 12–24 month warranty depending on the machine, with spare parts and long-term technical support. Shipping from China depends on the number of containers and your port.
How to get an accurate price
Send us five details: your daily production target, bottle sizes, water source (with a lab analysis if you have one), whether you want to blow your own bottles, and your country. We reply with a complete line proposal and price. Request a quote or message us on WhatsApp.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to start a water bottling plant?
Start with a small line, for example the SVW8-8-3 filler at 2,500–3,000 bottles per hour, one bottle size and a semi-automatic blower, and plan floor space so you can add a bigger filler later.
Does a bigger line always cost more per bottle?
No. A bigger line costs more to buy, but the cost per bottle usually falls because labour, floor space and energy are shared over more bottles.
Is water treatment included in the price?
Only if you include it in the scope. We size the reverse osmosis system (2 to 20 tons per hour) to your raw water and filling output, so we need your water analysis first.