Water is water. Right? No, all water is not is the same. If it were cities would not add chemicals to their water systems to make it safe for human consumption. Backpackers would not have to purify the water from a mountain stream before drinking it. And there would be no bottled water industry!

So, is the water you are drinking safe? Let's look at water from its source. Pure water, H2O, is tasteless and odorless. Why does some water taste differently than other water? Dissolved minerals, measured in TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), are suspended in the water. These minerals occur naturally in water. Depending on the minerals involved and the amount of concentration in the water, the taste of the water is affected. Certain minerals, although not harmful to humans, can make water unpleasant to drink due to taste and odor.

All drinking water in this country is tested and treated, if necessary, to make it "safe" to drink. It is checked for potentially harmful levels of chemicals and minerals, as well as harmful bacteria. When found the water is treated to remove or destroy harmful content. Public drinking water supplies use chlorination, which kills bacteria in water but can produce trihalomethanes (THMs) when it interacts with organic matter in water. THMs have been found to be carcinogenic. If the protection system fails, potentially harmful water can reach our taps. Even the delivery system that brings water from the reservoir to our tap has been found to contain lead, copper, radon and other contaminants that can cause everything from severe headaches to cancer.

What can we do to insure safe drinking water for our families? Home filtration units can remove certain levels of taste and odor causing substances. Mineral content can be reduced by reverse osmosis systems. There are home water purification systems for controlling bacteria in the water. All of these can be used to insure safe drinking water in our home, but they can be expensive to purchase and maintain and if not properly serviced can in themselves become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Many families are turning to bottled water to obtain not only safe water but also pleasant tasting water. There are more than 700 brands of bottled water in the United States. All bottled water sold for human consumption in the United States must meet applicable federal and state standards. Water sources for these bottled waters range from municipal or "tap" water, springs, artesian wells, or well water. Various methods are used to insure that the water is free from contamination and safe to drink. These methods include filtration, reverse-osmosis (RO), UV (ultra-violet) light, ozone or a combination of these.

With more than 700 brands, there are several varieties of bottled water. The product may be labeled as bottled water, drinking water or any of the following terms. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) product definitions of bottled water are:

• Artesian Water/Artesian Well Water: Water from a well that taps a confined aquifer in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer.
• Drinking Water: Drinking water is another name for bottled water. Accordingly, drinking water is water that is sold for human consumption in sanitary containers and contains no added sweeteners or chemical additives other than flavors, extracts or essences. It must be calorie free and sugar free. Flavors, extracts and essences may be added to drinking water, but they must comprise less than one percent by weight of the final product or the product will be considered a soft drink. Drinking water may be sodium free or contain very low amounts of sodium.
• Mineral Water: Water containing not less than 250 parts per million total dissolved solids may be labeled as mineral water. Mineral water is distinguished from other types of bottled water by its constant level and relative proportions of mineral and trace elements at the point of emergence from the surface. No minerals can be added to this product.
• Purified Water; Water that has been produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or other suitable processes and meets the definition of purified bottled water in the United Slates Pharmacopoeia may be labeled as purified bottled water. Other suitable product names for bottled water treated by one of [he above processes may include "distilled water" if it is produced by distillation, "deionized water" if me water is produced by deionization and so forth.
• SparkIing Water: Water that, after treatment and possible replacement with carbon dioxide, contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had as emergence from the source. Soda water, seltzer water, and tonic water are not considered bottled waters. They are regulated separately, may contain sugar and calories, and are considered soft drinks.
• Spring Water: Water derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth. Spring wilier must be collected only at the spring or a bore hole tapping the underground formation finding the spring. Spring water collected with the use of an external force must be from the same underground stratum as the spring and must have all the physical properties, before treatment, and be of the same composition and quality as the water that flows naturally to the surface of the earth.
• Well Water: Water from a hole bored, drilled, or otherwise constructed in the ground which taps the water from an aquifer (bottledwaterweb.com).

Prairie Industries, Inc. uses well water pumped to the surface and then filtered for sediment, passed through UV light to kill any bacteria and treated with ozone to prevent contamination when it is bottled. Nothing is done to the water to affect its natural taste...
Nothing added, nothing removed... so you get fresh, great tasting water...
NATURE'S BEST!