Article ID # 20060104
The Evolution of H2O
by Susan Weiner
Energy Times, January 4, 2006

As a society we are drowning in bottled waters. The latest and greatest may be so-called functional waters, which are designed to impart an array of health benefits. But don't throw away your supplements just yet.

In the beginning, humans consumed life-giving water from lakes, streams and rivers. Through the centuries, man became industrialized and created reservoirs and plumbing and a system to bring water right into the home. But eventually, humans determined they could not survive on tap water alone, so modern man and woman began to drink water bottled from exotic locales. And they were pleased. Soon, bottled water was fortified with nutrients and enhanced with fruit flavors. Man and woman decided this water was good. Through the years, as the vast array of bottled waters have grown to, shall we say, biblical proportions, people have become more savvy and sophisticated about them. Waters now complement nearly every lifestyle, originating from mineral springs, artesian wells, mountain streams and underground aquifers. There are sparkling waters, purified waters, distilled waters, mineral waters, source waters and waters supplemented with fluoride, botanicals, herbs and fruits. These elixirs-which would have tasted delightfully refreshing after tackling a bison-are now intended for soccer moms, college students, weekend warriors, schoolchildren and anyone looking for an energy boost or the convenience of water-on-the-go. In time, bottled waters have become as celebrated as the wheel: Americans gulped down more than 6.8 billion gallons in 2004, or 24 gallons per person, reports the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), a trade industry group. In fact, our thirst for bottled waters shows no signs of abating. Other than carbonated soft drinks, US residents consume more bottled water than any other beverage, and sales are expected to soar in the future. Explosive growth has placed bottled water in nearly every natural foods store, supermarket, convenience store and vending machine. In reality, the concept of water in a bottle isn't all that new: Europeans have bottled and sold curative mineral waters for thousands of years, and even cowboys and pioneers toted containers of it across the range. So if tap water is free, or nearly free, then why pay for bottled water? The idea that bottled water is superior to what runs from your tap and convenience are two reasons, but taste is foremost.

Most Americans are served by a system that uses surface water from rivers, lakes and streams, while the remaining 10% to 20% obtain water from municipal or private ground wells. Since more than 60% of coastal rivers and bays are moderately to severely polluted and the majority of Americans live within 10 miles of polluted water, according to the Sierra Club, municipalities and private companies typically treat water with chlorine. The end result is water with a chlorinated aftertaste and the potential for chlorination byproducts like chloroform, a common disinfection byproduct that is carcinogenic to rats and mice.

Water Defined
The FDA classifies bottled water according to its origin:

• Spring Water: Bottled water derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the earth's surface. Spring water must be collected only at the spring or through a borehole tapping the formation feeding the spring. If external force is used to collect the water, the water must have the same composition and quality as the water that naturally flows to the surface.
• Purified Water: Water that has been produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or other suitable processes while meeting the definition of purified water in the United States Pharmacopoeia may be labeled as purified bottled water.
• Mineral Water: Water from an underground source that contains at least 250 parts per million total dissolved solids. Minerals and trace elements must come from the source of the underground water and cannot be added later.
• Sparkling Bottled Water: Water that, after treatment and possible replacement with carbon dioxide, contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had as it emerged from the source. Sparkling bottled waters may be labeled as "sparkling drinking water," "sparkling mineral water" and "sparkling spring water."
• Artesian Water: Water from a well that taps an aquifer (layers of porous rock, sand and earth that contain water) which is under pressure from surrounding upper layers of rock or clay. When tapped, the pressure in the aquifer pushes the water above the level of the aquifer. According to the EPA, water from artesian aquifers is often more pure than other waters.
• Well Water: Water from a hole that is bored or drilled into the ground, which taps the water aquifer.

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