WHAT'S IN BOTTLED WATER

Empty Bottle of Water Bottled waters offer the ultimate in traceability, health, convenience and choice, as well as providing reassurance that they come from fully sustainable sources.
Water, which first falls as rain or snow, is both filtered by, and picks up minerals from, the rocks through which it percolates.

Years in the making
This can take many years. Some waters are believed to take only three to five years to filter through rocks, whereas others may take hundreds of years to do so. In the case of Natural Mineral Water, this filtration time helps the water to become stable in its composition, its flow rate and its temperature. In other words, the composition of any particular Natural Mineral Water is the same now as it has been for hundreds of years. The water collects when it reaches a layer of rock through which it cannot pass (an impermeable layer) and the water may then emerge as a spring at a natural fault of the rock or it may be brought to the surface through a bore hole or well. It will contain minerals it has picked up whilst passing through the various rocks during the percolation process.
The composition and quality of water supplies are directly related to the soil structure and geology of the surrounding catchment area, because all fresh water is derived from rain. The rain falling on the ground will pick up and dissolve inorganic salts as well as naturally occurring organic matter.

For example, rain falling on chalk will produce a water that is high in dissolved solids, hardness and alkalinity, whereas water from peaty areas is often pale yellow in colour and contains appreciable amounts of organic matter.

Natural Mineral, Spring and Table Waters:

	Natural Mineral Water	Spring Water	Other Bottled Drinking Water	Flavoured Water
From defined underground source	Yes	Yes	No	No
Consistent mineral composition	Yes	Sometimes	Sometimes	No
Has mineral composition on the label	Yes	Sometimes	Sometimes	No
Has no other ingredients	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Hydrating	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
From a sustainable source	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Natural Mineral Water is an official designation which was originally set down in UK law in 1985. New regulations were introduced in June 1999, consolidating the regulations covering Natural Mineral Water, Spring Water and other Bottled Waters and this legislation is derived from a European Directive covering all Natural Mineral Waters and Spring Waters extracted within the European Union. These require the water to meet certain requirements.

Natural Mineral Water must:
• come from a specified underground source which is protected from any kind of pollution
• be stable in its chemical and physical composition
• satisfy microbiological criteria and be free of any harmful bacteria
• receive no treatment other than filtration (to remove items such as sand particles) or carbonation by the addition of carbon dioxide (although some waters are naturally carbonated)
• be bottled at source and fitted with a tamper evident seal
• undergo regular analyses after recognition by an approved laboratory to ensure that these exacting standards are maintained

Under the new legislation outlined above, Spring Waters must also come from a single underground source but may undergo permitted treatments that do not alter the composition of the water, such as filtration and carbonation. Spring Water must also comply with the Drinking Water Regulations.

Bottled Drinking Water, sometimes called Table Water, is the description given to water that may come from more than one source or not from a single underground source. It may include the public water supply or be transported from the source to the bottling plant. Bottling companies may carry out filtration and treatment processes on the water to amend its constituents before the water is distributed for sale. Some companies may also add mineral salts and carbon dioxide to their water.

It’s a matter of taste:
The taste of water depends on the minerals it contains. Water with more minerals will have a stronger and more distinctive taste than one with fewer. One of the reasons why people might choose one type of water over another lies in the taste that they prefer. Some restaurants even employ sommeliers to advise guests on which waters might go best with different foods, in the way that we are used to for wine.

The minerals that are commonly found in bottled water include calcium and magnesium which are good for bone health.

The difference between still and sparkling:
Sparkling water has carbon dioxide in it. That carbon dioxide may be naturally occurring or it might be added during the bottling process. Adding carbon dioxide to the water does not make it harmful to bones or to teeth, contrary to some urban myths.