Bottled Water – Purified

Bottled water is a $16 billion business that logically does not need to exist today.

There is so much information on the web for water types that we immediately get information overload and find ourselves exhausted in our search. And, most of the easy access data is from corporate bottle (water) distributors that are trying to sell you their products. So, how do you get a bi-partisan overview of bottle water?

The Food and Drug Administration defines bottled water as water that is intended for human consumption and that is sealed in bottles or other containers with no added ingredients except that it may optionally contain safe and suitable antimicrobial agents (agents that kill microorganisms or stops their growth).

Bottle water can come from any source and can be distilled, carbonated, and/or treated in any manner within FDA guidelines. The three primary water types (sources) are artesian well water, spring water, and well water. Other water types derive from the primary three and include mineral water, natural sparkling water, and purified water.

According to multiple sources at least 20-25 percent of the bottled water we drank in the US last year is actually purified tap water. Pepsi’s Aquafina and Coke’s Dasani, the top bottled water brands in the country, are two of the brands that bottle municipal/local water.

Bottled water is very popular today, as it is commonly perceived to be generally cleaner than your local tap water. This belief alone is widely debated, but that’s a discussion for another day. If you chose “team bottled,” you should know the differences between types of water and how and if they are treated. For our discussion today we will focus on purified bottle water.

Purified Bottle Water

As one of the bottle water types, the only one required to undergo further treatment once its drawn from any source is purified water. Nothing is left at the end of the purification process except H2O within FDA guidelines. There are quite a few purification treatments and its common practice to use a combination of these to purify water. Here are the most popular methods:

• Filtration: water sent through filters or membranes
• Distillation: water is vaporized
• Reverse Osmosis: water forced through semipermeable membranes
• Ozonation: water is infused with ozone molecules and disinfects
• UV Light Treatment: Ultra violet light used to kill microorganisms

It is important to note that some water purification methods, including reverse osmosis, can sometimes remove healthy minerals, such as calcium or magnesium. This is not ideal, so purification processes add these healthy minerals back into the water after everything has been filtered out.

For more information about healthy, safe, and clean drinking water for your home or business, including the K5 Drinking Water System (best rated reverse osmosis system) contact us today at Westfair Water Systems!