Making sure that you drink enough water every day is very essential to your health. Hydration, after all, is one key factor in keeping you healthy. Water helps each and every cell in the human body to work properly. This is why it is so vital that you keep yourself hydrated all throughout the day.
With the clamor to be more mindful of hydration getting louder and louder, there are more options than ever of types of drinking water available on the market. Two of the most popular choices are spring water and purified water.
These are the top water options that arise when people discuss the cleanest and healthiest choices for drinking. So it’s natural to want to know the differences between the two because these facts will be crucial as you decide whether to pick one over the other.
Read on as we explain spring water vs. purified water and delve into all the pros and cons to help you choose which is ideal for you!
Spring Water And Purified Water
Water security and water purity have become major concerns for households all over the country — the world, even. Consumers now want to know where exactly their water is from and if what they are drinking is in fact safe to take in.
People are becoming more cautious and more critical of their drinking water, and for a good reason. With so many water-related health issues happening, it’s indeed very important to make sure that the water is safe to drink.
Spring water: According to FDA guidelines, is “derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth at an identified location, may be collected at the spring or through a borehole, tapping the underground formation that feeds the spring.”
Purified water: Purified water is drinking water that is highly treated and has been stripped of the chemical compounds and contaminants present in the public water supply. It is, as the FDA states, “produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis of other suitable processes” and may likewise be referred to as “demineralized water, deionized water, distilled water or reverse osmosis water.”
What is Spring Water?
Natural spring water, says the EPA, is a type of drinking water that naturally flows up and rises towards the surface coming from a large underground basin of water. Many of these natural sources often can be found in valleys, alongside hills and mountains, and within natural water reserves.
In the instances that the spring water doesn’t rise up by itself, then manual extraction needs to be done in order to retrieve the water. Those kinds of underground sources are referred to as ‘artesian well water,’ and these well waters are filtered in the same manner as natural spring water.
How is Spring Water Made?
Spring water is by and large naturally occurring. Common areas where spring water naturally occurs are areas wherein there is thick bedrock, more particularly limestone. By the very essence of limestone, it is very easy for water to just seep into the softness of the limestone rocks. As the water seeps through it, the essential nutrients and minerals are also dissolved.
Simply put, the ‘spring’ in the term ‘spring water’ comes from the high level of water that is in the underground aquifer. This causes the excess water to then rise up towards the surface.
As the water rises up and passes through the rocks, spring water experiences a wondrous and thorough filtration process that is one hundred percent natural.
The natural filtration that spring water undergoes is the reason why it also appears to be so clear. It is also the reason why some people opt to drink it sans any further treatment. Natural spring water is generally considered to be rich and minerals and very safe.
The downside to this is that spring water may also be subjected to parasites, particles, as well as other elements that can then compromise its color and, more importantly, its quality.
This is where bottled spring water comes into play. Bottles spring water is natural spring water that then passes through a man-made filtration system and then is tested to make sure that it meets the standards of the FDA.
Unlike purified water: In natural spring water, all the natural minerals are often retained even after it undergoes filtration. So those who drink it will still be able to enjoy that refreshing, fresh, and natural taste.
Spring Water: Benefits
Spring water is considered by and large by plenty of people to be the unicorn of drinking water. Here are some of the benefits of spring water that make it shine above the pack:
- Spring water is of exceptional purity
- It is able to provide all of the essential minerals in the right proportion and amount that the body needs
- It is considered to be safe for all ages
Drinks that are prepared with natural spring water has been said by many to taste much better compared to beverages that have been prepared with distilled or purified water.
Since natural spring water is so rare, natural water reserves are continuously regulated and monitored to make sure that the spring water that consumers get is every bit as fresh and pure as can be.
What is Purified Water?
Purified water is called such because of the lack of substances such as microbes and sediments in it. This type of water comes typically from underground water or well water that then undergoes a filtration process to strip away large debris as well as sediment.
After the filtration process, the water is purified in order to remove pathogens, chemical pollutants, and other impurities such as lead and copper.
The standard requirement for consumable water is that dissolved impurities should be reduced to very, very low levels — 10 ppm or parts per million or even less. This kind of water contains a much higher level of purity as compared to tap water, regulated by the EPA.
Purified bottled water adheres to very strict health standards and the regulation of the FDA.
Also Read:- How To Make Your Own Distilled Water? In 5 Easy Ways
How is Purified Water Made?
Purified water can be made from groundwater, tap water, or water taken from other sources. The process of water purification can take several layers because flirtation alone will not be able to remove potential microbes.
Countries that do not have enough water resources putrefy water in a similar process, utilizing recycled water and water coming from streams, lakes, and rivers.
There are many different purification and filtration methods. Treatments include coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and disinfection. One of the most popular methods to draw out the impurities found in water is by using a carbon block filter that contains a reverse-osmosis water filter unity.
The process of reverse-osmosis allows only the cleanest of water molecules to seep through a semipermeable membrane, at the same time filtering out effectively and discarding the unwanted elements. This method results in clean, pure, and sterilized water that is very much safe for consumption.
Some homes and establishments opt to install multi-barrier water filtration and purification systems. They install them on their water tank or tap water source. Systems like these do not require the initial utilization of carbon filters.
The water instead goes through full and thorough filtration by the use of a one-micron sediment filter, the ultraviolet light treatment, and an ozonation process.
What About Steam-Distilled Water?
Steam-distilled water is classified as a type of purified water. This is not a type of water that is very commonly used for drinking, unlike other types of purified water. With this water type, water passes through a process that is called distillation — here, water is boiled to get steam which is gathered into a separate container for condensation. The end result is the purest form of water.
The process of distillation is very, very effective because it removes heavy solids that contain impurities such as sulfates and kills bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. The downside, however, is that distillation likewise strips away any dissolved nutrients or minerals.
Also Read:- How Long Does It Take For Water To Boil?
Purified Water: The Benefits
Purified water has many benefits, and as a very accessible form of water that is safe to drink, it is great to know the benefits that it brings about. Here are some of them:
- Purified water is totally safe for consumption
- It contains no harmful contaminants, chemicals, and pathogens that can pose a health risk
- It has a very neutral taste
Purified water is described as the most basic that water can be: Clean, pure, and hydrating.
Spring Water vs. Purified Water: The Differences
Here are the differences between spring water and purified water at a glance:
Sources
It refers to the point of origin and how water is then supplied to individual homes and for commercial purposes.
Natural Spring Water
- Natural water reserves
- Underground basins that rose to the surface
- EPA-approved potable sources
Purified Water
- Groundwater
- Well water
- Tap water
- Recycled water
Purification Process
The process through which water is made potable.
Natural Spring Water
- Natural filtration from rock formations
- Manual filtration is an extra precaution set by the FDA
Purified Water
- Passes through extensive filtration processes, UV light treatment, or distillation which makes it potable by FDA standards
Health Benefits
Depending on the source and purification process, what are its health benefits, and for how long.
Natural Spring Water
- Contains dissolved minerals such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, and nutrients depending on the location of the water source
Purified Water
- Completely pure water that may have trace amounts of soft minerals, OR
- Distilled, purest, cleanest form of water
Disadvantages
Knowing the source, purification process, and other aspects, what could be the possible disadvantages of the kind of water one drinks.
Natural Spring Water
- It is scarce and can be expensive
- Unfiltered natural spring water may also harbor parasites and microorganisms
Purified Water
- Water that is purified by distillation takes away all minerals and nutrients in the water
Spring Water vs. Purified Water: Safety
While both spring water and purified water come with their health benefits and a few disadvantages, here we discuss the crux of the article summarizing the basic differences between the two.
Spring Water
Spring water, like other bottled water, should be able to meet FDA guidelines. In comparison to purified water, spring water passes through very little distillation because the goal here is to preserve the naturally-occurring minerals. So to meet FDA standards, the requirement is for bottled spring water to be tested as well as filtered for sediments.
Purified Water
Purified water, as discussed above, can come from any water source because, by its very definition, purified water is the process of removing impurities from any water source. Purified water is said to have significantly higher purity compared to spring water, groundwater, or tap water.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, both spring water and purified water are considered to be safe for consumption. The water that you choose to consume will depend on accessibility and personal preference. As long as the water is safe for drinking, it is good enough for hydration needs.