Mineral water comes from natural sources of water beneath the ground. The types of minerals in the water will depend on the type of rock over which the water has been running —different areas produce mineral water containing different types of minerals. Calcium, sodium and sulphur are examples of minerals commonly found in mineral water. Sources of mineral water are most often in mountainous and hilly regions.
Although water covers three quarters of the world and adorns the skies in its gaseous form, the truth is water fit for human consumption is growing scarce. We all must take care to conserve and care for it as we do our greatest treasure: life.
Nevertheless, nature gives us a very special kind of water from the depths of the earth, one that has been enriched with the earth’s minerals and naturally purified through filtering during its journey underground.
Mineral water is water from a mineral source that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. Mineral water may be effervescent (i.e., “sparkling”) due to contained gases.
Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at their sources. This was often referred to as “taking the waters” or “taking the cure.” Civilization eventually developed around these sources, and people used them for spas, baths, or wells. The term “spa” was a place where the water was used for soaking; “bath,” where the water was used primarily for bathing, therapeutics, or recreation; and “well,” where the water was to be consumed.
Mineral water comes from natural sources like wells, pure and rich in minerals. Unlike tap water that receives different treatments before human consumption, mineral water is bottled directly from the source, without adding any chemical elements. It only goes through a physical process of filtration to ensure maximum purity.
- Mineral waters can be classified according to their origin:
- Meteorological: Produced by rain, snow, and de-icing.
- Juvenile: Those that see daylight when surfacing.
- Fossil: Formed from sediments deposited on the sea floor.
- Mixed: Composed from a mixture of meteorological, juvenile, and fossil water.
Today it is far more common for mineral water to be bottled at the source for distributed consumption. Traveling to the mineral water site for direct access to the water is rare, and in many cases not possible because of exclusive commercial ownership rights. There are more than 3,000 brands of mineral water commercially available worldwide.
picture Credit : Google