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TYPES OF WATER

Are you drinking what you think you are drinking?

   All bottled water types are sometimes referred to as "spring water" but
   that's not really accurate. The origin and processing of different
   types of bottled water actually make them quite different in content
   and taste. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-the
   federal agency that regulates all types of bottled water-has
   established guidelines called standards of identity that classify
   bottled water into several different water types:

   Spring Water: Ah, the ever-popular "spring water" is defined as bottled
   water derived from an underground formation from which water flows
   naturally to the surface of the earth. To qualify as spring water, it
   must be collected only at the spring or through a borehole tapping the
   underground formation feeding the spring. If the collection process
   uses some type of an external force, the water must be from the same
   stratum as the spring and must retain the quality and all of the same
   physical properties of water that flows naturally from a spring to the
   surface.

   Purified Water: This is a type of drinking water that has been treated
   with processes such as distillation, deionization or reverse osmosis
   (we'll get to those terms later). Basically, this just means that the
   bacteria and dissolved solids have been removed from the water by some
   process, making it "purified." This type of bottled water is usually
   labeled as purified drinking water but can also be labeled for the
   specific process used to produce it, for example, reverse osmosis
   drinking water or distilled drinking water. Many bottled water brands
   are actually purified drinking water.

   Mineral Water: Okay, ready for some science? Mineral water contains not
   less than 250 parts per million total dissolved solids and is defined
   by its constant level and relative proportions of mineral and trace
   elements at the point of emergence from the source. No minerals can be
   added to the water.

   Sparkling Bottled Water: Yes, the fizzy kind. But what makes it fizzy?
   This type of water contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it
   had when it emerged from its source. Sparkling bottled waters may be
   labeled as sparkling drinking water, sparkling mineral water, sparkling
   spring water, etc.

   Artesian Water/Artesian Well Water: Ready for some more science?
   Artesian water comes from a well that taps a confined aquifer-a
   water-bearing underground layer of rock or sand-in which the water
   level is above the top of the aquifer.

   Well Water: This one is pretty easy. Well water is exactly what it
   sounds like- water from a hole made in the ground that taps the water
   source.

   Municipal/Tap Water: Of course, you know it's the type of water piped
   right into your home. While tap water isn't regulated by the FDA (but
   we thought it should be included here), it must meet the strict
   standards of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Municipal tap
   water is generally of excellent quality, however, many people prefer
   the taste and enjoy the convenience of bottled water, which, in most
   cases, undergoes additional processing and often retains the pleasant
   characteristics of its natural source.

   Bottled Water Regulation: The FDA is responsible for the food and
   pharmaceutical industries, two industries where safety and quality are
   of paramount importance. Yes, the FDA is full of serious customers.
   Therefore, bottled water is one of the most extensively regulated
   packaged-food products. The bottled water industry receives government
   oversight from federal and state agencies across the country, providing
   consumers with multiple layers of safety assurance - from the finished
   water product back to the source. Bottled water is required to be
   tested for the same parameters as tap water, but the standards are, in
   some cases, stricter than for tap water. State governments inspect and
   certify the "sources" of spring water, meaning that samples have been
   analyzed and found to be of a safe and sanitary quality according to
   regulation.

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   Once evaporated, a water molecule spends ten days in the air.

Leading Water Brands

   [btn_go_30x30_off.gif] By now, you might be wondering what kind you've
   been drinking all along. An easy way to tell is by simply reading the
   label.
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