Process of Making Mineral Water

Water Cycle Detour

Volcanic mineral springs were the original spa waters.
The bottled mineral water that is sold worldwide is the product of millions of years of the water cycle, a process that recycles every drop of water that exists on the planet. In this cycle, water falls from clouds as precipitation, is absorbed by the ground or drains into rivers and oceans and evaporates back into the atmosphere where it condenses as it rises, forms clouds and again falls as precipitation. The journey that mineral water takes in the water cycle takes longer than that of most water. It takes a long detour through the aquifer---the ground beneath the surface of the earth---and is returned to the surface only through natural springs or artesian and man-made wells. The composition of the water that is recovered from these "sources" is the result of the geology through which it has traveled. Mineral water contains no less than 250 ppm total dissolved solids of a consistent analysis of minerals at its source.

A good source produces water of consistent analysis.
Natural mineral water is recovered from springs or wells that are located above an aquifer isolated from contaminants like agricultural runoff or sanitary drainage. These wastes show up in water as nitrate, a compound that can limit the blood's ability to carry oxygen and has been implicated in a number of chronic human illnesses and conditions. A barrier such as clay or volcanic deposits must surround the source in order to protect and guide the water as it settles through layers of limestone and other rocks. When the water's downward trip ends, it may have accumulated calcium, potassium, magnesium, bromine, sodium, bicarbonate, fluoride, sulfates or other materials useful as minerals and trace elements. The World Health Organization requires that mineral water marketed as an aid to health be "naturally occurring underground water of original purity with the minimum of 1g/l of dissolved solid substances or a minimum of 1g/l of dissolved carbon dioxide or other chemical element important for health or which has a temperature at the source higher than 20°C or the radioactivity of radon in excess of 1.5 kBq/l." Water that contains the right combination of elements and is located in a place where it can be collected economically can be sold as mineral water.

The Romans transported mineral waters from France and Italy with aqueducts.
Mineral water sources may be springs or wells. Artesian wells are naturally occurring wells formed by upward pressure that stops just short of the surface. Other wells must be drilled deep into rock, an expensive procedure. Collected water is processed to guarantee consistent analysis of mineral content and purity. Bottling at the source avoids the cost of transporting water and processing varies with the mineral content of each source. Firms like Perrier and San Pelligrino also operate their own bottle factories on site as a further economy. Producers use filtration, ionization and reverse osmosis processes to remove impurities and nitrates. Some bottlers replace carbon dioxide lost as the water is drawn to the surface to make sparkling water.