Sometimes a Bottle of Water Isn’t Just a Bottle of Water – Conclusion

Bottled water is big business in this country. Given our current societal focus on health-consciousness and the national push to combat childhood obesity, it is also a rapidly-expanding industry as more and more people substitute bottles of water for the sodas and other sugary drinks they once selected. As with any lucrative business, there are many players; some are more ethical than others, and a few are apparently just out to capitalize on the trend and rake in the cash. This series has focused on comparing several randomly-selected brands of bottled water which, at first blush, one might think are all pretty much the same; after all, they’re all just spring water, aren’t they?

Short answer: no. Although my research was anything but scientific and my six sample bottled-water brands were determined by the contents of my recycling bin, what I found was that reading labels is crucially important even when the product is plain old water! Some brands are really spring water, but others actually contain treated tap water, just like the stuff that you can get from your faucet without the added expense. Dasani (a product of the Coca Cola Company) and Nestle Pure Life each add several chemicals to their bottled tap water, claiming they enhance the flavor. Personally, I dislike the taste of Dasani and never cared much for Pure Life either; the knowledge that they contain potentially-dangerous chemicals such as potassium chloride and magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) is enough to keep me from ever drinking either of them again.

Acadia Natural Spring Water, the store-brand sold by Stop & Shop, claims to be water sourced from protected springs in Pennsylvania. Although all water has some mineral content, and the term “natural” is not regulated by the FDA, samples of Acadia were found to be identical to the treated tap water from the areas where Acadia is bottled. To me, that finding raises red flags. Poland Spring, another Nestle product, has only one ingredient: “100% natural spring water.” Still, there have been lawsuits claiming that the Poland Spring water has, in some cases, been adulterated (after all, it is made by Nestle). I do enjoy drinking Poland Spring, and will continue to do so unless I learn of a compelling reason to stop. Fiji Water comes from an artesian aquifer in Fiji, it is alkaline (a health benefit in my book) and it tastes delicious. For me, the sole drawback to the Fiji brand is its hefty price.

For my money, the winner of this bottled water comparison is Nirvana Natural Spring Water. It rises to the surface naturally from springs in New York’s Adirondack Mountains, is not shipped in tankers to outside locations for processing and bottling, has no added chemicals, is reasonably priced and tastes good. What more could you want? In conclusion: all bottled waters are not created equal. Always read the labels before you buy.