Different Kinds of Bottled Water & How They’re Made

We have a lot of variety when it comes to choosing… well, anything! Even the most basic necessities have half a dozen different types to pick from, and water is no exception.

Bottled water comes in many forms: mineral water, spring water, alkaline, distilled, sparkling and more. They’re all good ol’ H2O, but they vary slightly when it comes to mineral content, their collection point and their carbon dioxide level.

Here’s all you need to know to understand the different kinds of bottled water on store shelves today!

What’s the difference between types of bottled water?

Mineral water

Mineral water, as the name suggests, is water naturally enhanced with minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium — as in, all the good stuff found in the rocks and soils buried underground. 

To qualify as true mineral water according to the FDA, it must originate from a protected underground source safe from environmental contamination. It must also contain at least 250 parts per million (ppm) of total dissolved solids (TDS), which are the minerals that give it its unique taste. Mineral water's mineral content must also not be artificially altered after collection, which makes it different to other waters like spring and distilled.  

The water source plays a significant role in mineral water’s overall composition. As it travels through rocks and underground formations on its journey through the water cycle, water picks up minerals that result in a distinctive taste and mineral profile that’s unique to the collection area. These minerals are also responsible for hard water buildup in pipes, tea kettles and faucets, which only happens in areas that have high levels of calcium and magnesium in the water. However, that kind of water is technically referred-to as “tap water,” while mineral water is bottled and commercially distributed. 

Because of the high TDS count, mineral water has more of a “taste” than other waters, especially when it comes to distilled water or reverse osmosis water. As such, people may really like mineral water from one region while not particularly liking one from another, or they may prefer the health benefits of one over another, too. There’s a lot of choices when it comes to mineral water, and there are no two exactly alike!

Spring water

Like other kinds of drinking water, spring water originates from a protected underground aquifer that naturally flows to the earth's surface. This type of water must also meet specific criteria set by the FDA: it must emerge from a single natural opening, demonstrate consistent flow over time and be collected from either the spring opening or from a bore hole drilled to the underground water source. 

Spring water can also contain naturally-collected minerals, but unlike mineral water, there's no minimum TDS requirement. This means spring water can have a very neutral taste or possess a subtle minerality depending on the source, though not necessarily strong enough to be classified as mineral water. 

Distilled water

Distilled water is cleared of impurities and minerals through the process of distillation. The water is boiled until it turns to steam, which then rises, condenses back into liquid and falls into a separate container while leaving any impurities, bacteria and contaminants behind. The cleaned water is, by that point, as pure as water could get and has no additional mineral content, so it has no taste and is almost purely H2O. 

If we really want to get into the classification of it, distilled water is technically listed as a sub-type of purified water, which can be produced through a variety of processes. Other methods of purifying water include reverse osmosis and deionization, both of which involve removing minerals from the water but not necessarily all the bacteria and impurities. Distillation is just another method of purifying water, and because it creates water that is more pure, it’s typically more popular. 

Alkaline water

Alkaline water is less acidic than regular water, though only by a little. To understand what it means and what it does, we have to use the pH scale!

The pH scale measures the acidity or alkalinity of a substance, with 0 being most acidic, 14 being least acidic and 7 being neutral. Alkaline water has a higher pH level than regular bottled water, typically ranging between 8 or 9 while most waters are between 6.5 and 7.5.

The alkalinity (meaning having a pH greater than 7) of bottled water can be achieved through various methods, including through electrolysis or by adding minerals like potassium bicarbonate. Natural water gains alkalinity by passing over rocks and picking up minerals as it travels underground, but most bottled alkaline waters go through water splitting and electrolyzers to increase their pH high enough to reach a scale of 8 or 9.  

Alkaline water is popularly seen as a method to neutralize acid in the body and offer various health benefits. And while it is important to note that studies suggest a high-acid diet may be detrimental to our health, the body also has natural mechanisms to regulate its pH within a healthy range all on its own! Our stomach acid, for example, has a pH between 1.5 and 3.5 (very acidic) and our kidneys help balance the pH in our blood by re-ionizing it with hydrogen atoms. Drinking a lot of alkaline water can temporarily change the pH in our stomach (just like antacids do!) but it doesn’t offer much long-lasting effects.

All that to say that alkaline water isn’t necessarily the fix-all that it’s made out to be, and that it’s important to consult your doctor before adding too much alkalinity into your diet.

Sparkling water

Fun fact: sparkling water actually replicates the amount of carbon dioxide that was present when the water was first collected! Who knew!

To be classified as sparkling bottled water, the water has to have been treated and then possibly replaced with carbon dioxide to the same amount measured from the spring or well where it was collected. It can also be made with various types of water like spring water, distilled water, mineral water and so on — as long as the carbon dioxide is put back in, then it counts!

There’s no single best-bottled-water award out there, since most waters are so similar that it doesn’t really matter if you drink different kinds. Ultimately, the right bottled water for you is the one you enjoy drinking and that keeps you adequately hydrated. After all, isn’t that what’s important, anyway?

Enjoy!

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Featured photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash