Where Does Your Bottled Water Come From?

We all know what those creative, beautiful labels on bottled water say, but do you really know where your bottled water comes from and is what is written on the label the truth?

Many companies have already been brought to book for selling bottled water that they advertise as â€œcoming from deep in the Alps where no man has gone beforeâ€ when it has been proven that they are actually just marketing plain old tap water with a fancy label. Research has shown that around 47% of all bottled water sold is purified tap water.

So what are all the different types of bottled water on sale anyway? What is the difference between Artesian and Purified water, and which water is the best and healthiest?

Artesian Water is water obtained from a well that taps a confined aquifer, an underground layer of rock or sand that contains water.
Distilled Water is water that has been boiled and then re-condensed from the steam that the boiling produces. Distillation kills microbes and removes minerals, giving water a flat taste.
Mineral Water is Groundwater that naturally contains at least 250 parts per million of dissolved solids. All minerals and other trace elements must be present in the water when it emerges at the source.
P.W.S. Water is water that comes from a public water source, (municipal water supply, or tap water).
Purified Water is water that comes from any source that has been treated to remove chemicals and pathogens according to set standards. Purified Water must contain no more than 10 parts per million of dissolved solids. Distillation, deionization, and reverse osmosis are all purification methods.
Sparkling Water is water that contains carbon dioxide at an amount equal to what it contained when it emerged from its source. Carbon dioxide lost during the treatment process may be added back.
Spring Water is water that is derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the Earth’s surface. Spring water must be collected at the spring or through a borehole tapping the underground formation (aquifer) feeding the spring.