Comparing the Different Types of Drinking Water

Facts and Statistics on Drinking Water

The Facts

You can survive one week without water
Drinking too much water too quickly can lead to water intoxication
Annually, Americans consume 8.6 billion gallons of bottled water
25 million people die each year from contaminated water

%

How much water entering our homes goes down the drain

Water Makes Up…

Of a Human’s Body Weight 70% 70%
Of Your Brain Tissue 80% 80%

Different Types of Drinking Water

The main types of drinking water are spring water, purified water, mineral water, sparkling bottled water, artesian water, and well water.

Spring Water

The Facts

Underground source of water that naturally rises to the surface
Filtered to remove unwanted particles
Free of contaminants

Health Benefits/Pros

It is mineral-rich, therefore it will have a neutral or slightly alkaline pH
- Alkaline water is water that is more basic than acidic
Drinking alkaline water helps neutralize acidity in the body and helps keep bones strong
Has a clean, refreshing taste
Bottled spring water is convenient because it’s easy to pick up a bottle at any gas station or supermarket

Health Risks/Cons

Sometimes bottled spring water companies can lie about the source (sometimes it doesn’t actually come from a natural spring)
Costs can add up if you are constantly buying bottled spring water
Isn’t environmentally friendly unless you actually recycle the bottles

Purified Water

The Facts

Purified water is water that is rid of unwanted contaminants
- Bacteria, algae, fungi, parasites, metals like copper and lead, chemical pollutants
Water is purified by using one of several methods
- Distillation
  - The action of purifying a liquid by a process of heating and cooling.
- Deionization
  - Removal of charged atoms or ions from a liquid by passing it through two resins, one removes positive sodium ions (Na+) and the other negative chlorine ions (Cl-)
- Reverse Osmosis
  - Movement of fresh water through a semipermeable membrane when pressure is applied to a solution (such as seawater) on one side of it

Health Benefits/Pros

Better than tap water because purified water is rid of harmful contaminants like bacteria or chlorine that could be in your well
Can absorb and eliminate toxic substances from your body
Since it’s purified, it will not be contaminated, therefore there is a guaranteed fresh taste and smell

Health Risks/Cons

Can absorb carbon dioxide from air
- Carbon dioxide makes water acidic, the more a person drinks, the more acidic your pH level will be

Mineral Water

The Facts

Obtains minerals by one of two ways
- Naturally from wells
- Artificially infused
  - Mineral drops
    - Includes micro minerals that your body needs in very small amounts (chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum iodine, selenium, iron, and zinc)
  - Mineral-rich, unprocessed sea salt
    - Known to contain over 80 trace minerals
    - Just add a pinch to water and wait to drink until it dissolves
  - Alkaline pitcher
    - One made by Santevia that filters water, raises pH, and adds back in calcium, magnesium, and other beneficial minerals

Health Benefits/Pros

Adding minerals to water makes them much more easily absorbed by the body because they are already in their electrolyte or ionic form
It can help balance electrolytes
- Important because they help regulate how and where fluids are distributed throughout the body

Health Risks/Cons

Mineral water can be high in sodium and avoided by people with high blood pressure
It can be more expensive

Sparkling Bottled Water

The Facts

Fizz created by carbon dioxide gas

Health Benefits/Pros

Healthier version of soda (carbonated but doesn’t contain harmful chemicals in soda products)
Helps treat indigestion
Good stain remover

Health Risks/Cons

Minerals are removed which reduces health benefits
Can cause stomach ulcers
Known to prevent absorption of calcium and increase the risk of osteoporosis
Very acidic therefore shouldn’t drink regularly

Well Water

The Facts

Similar to mineral water because of infused minerals from the ground

Health Benefits/Pros

Mineral-rich
Environmentally friendly (not using plastic bottles)
If you survive the bacteria in it, it can make your immune system stronger

Health Risks/Cons

May contain microorganisms and chemicals that can make you sick
Must routinely test your well for unwanted toxins
If you have hard water (water infused with too many minerals), it can corrode your pipes and leave residue on your skin or any other surface

Artesian Water

The Facts

Extracted from an artesian well
- Water in the aquifer must be under enough pressure to force it to the top of the well

Health Benefits/Pros

There is nothing extraordinary about this type of water besides the way in which it was processed

Health Risks/Cons

Has no chemical or medicinal qualities
- There is no extra added minerals or substances that are known to make the water any better than the other types

Tap Water

The Facts

Can come from a variety of sources
- Well
- Surface water collected from streams, river, lakes, and reservoirs
Tap water of at least 41 million Americans has been found to contain a wide range of pharmaceuticals, including sex hormones and anti-seizure medicine
Contaminants in tap water, such as lead and perchlorate, can increase the risk of learning disorders in small children

Health Benefits/Pros

Essentially costs you nothing
Some tap water sources add in fluoride which is good for your teeth

Health Risks/Cons

Doesn’t always taste the best
Can potentially make you sick
- Sewage releases
- Arsenic, radon, uranium and other naturally occurring minerals and chemicals
- Fertilizers and pesticides

Distilled Water

The Facts

Produced by distillation
- Water is boiled into steam and condensed back into liquid in a separate, sterile container

Health Benefits/Pros

Very clean water
No harmful contaminants

Health Risks/Cons

Loses beneficial minerals in the purification process
The creation of free radicals
- Free radicals are atoms in the body that have unpaired and uneven electron counts that can encourage inconsistency in the body’s makeup

Alkaline Water

The Facts

Alkaline water has a pH that is more basic rather than acidic
Processed by one of two ways
- Naturally – water passes over rocks (like springs) and picks up minerals, which increase its alkaline levels
- Electrolysis
  - A product called an ionizer is utilized to raise the pH of regular water

Health Benefits/Pros

Helps regulate body’s pH level by neutralizing acidity
Prevents chronic diseases like cancer
Helps eliminate acid reflux symptoms
Cleanses colon
Supports immune system

Health Risks/Cons

Too much alkaline can lead to metabolic alkalosis which deteriorates bone health and causes nausea

Average pH Level of Water Types

Water with a pH < 7 is considered acidic and with a pH > 7 is considered basic
Normal range for pH in surface water systems is 6.5 to 8.5 and for groundwater systems 6 to 8.5
Ideal pH level of drinking water is between 6 and 8.5

Spring (7.0)
Distilled (5.0 to 7.0)
Mineral (5.0 to 7.0)
Sparkling (3.0 to 4.0)
Well (6.0 to 8.5)
Alkaline (8.0 to 9.0)
Tap (7.0 to 9.0)
Bottled (6.5 to 7.5)

Cost of Different Water Types

Key

	Danger/do not drink/highly expensive
	Caution/avoid in large quantities/moderate price
	Healthy/drink as much as you’d like/affordable
	No effect

	Tap	Filtered	Bottled	Reverse-Osmosis	Distilled	Ionized
Upfront Cost (Per Liter)	<$.01	$.02-.06	$1.50+	$.06	$.10-.17	$.06
Ongoing Cost (Per Liter)	<$.01	$.02-.06	$1.50+	$.02	$.07-.10	<$.01
Purity
Acidity
Oxidation
Mineral Source
Taste
Long-term Drinkability