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The
Bottled Water
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Most public water supply is treated with chlorine to disinfect it and kill germs. It is purported that safe levels of chlorine can be obtained for drinking purposes.
Different processes can be used to achieve safe levels of chlorine in drinking water. Chlorine is available as compressed elemental gas, sodium hypochlorite solution (NaOCl) or solid calcium hypochlorite (Ca[OCl]). While the chemicals could be harmful in high doses, when they are added to water, they all mix in and spread out, resulting in low levels which will kill germs but allow the water to remain safe to drink.
Well, that is what they say!
Dangers of Chlorine in Drinking Water
Ingesting of too much chlorine can cause diarrhea, stomachaches, and vomiting; which are all be effects of ingesting chlorine, and if swimming in a pool, chlorine can also cause dry, itchy skin. Severe chlorine poisoning can be far worse – a significant dose of liquid chlorine can be extremely toxic and even fatal to humans.
Furthermore, chlorine can interact with water and its minerals to produce chemicals called trihalomethanes (THMs), which have been connected to heart disease, eczema, asthma, and even cancer. For these reasons, it is critical that the correct chlorine levels are always maintained, particularly in tap and drinking water sources.
The EPA mandates that chlorine levels in tap water should be no more than 4 milligrams per liter.
In comparison, studies have been done to compare tap water with bottled water and a major concern came up with bottled water in that plastic bottles leach chemicals into the water they contain and the longer the water sits in the bottle, the higher the concentration of certain chemicals, like antimony, a metallic element that can cause depression, dissiness, and nausea.
Bottled Water?
Bottled water is a massive industry even in the U.S., where by 2016 Americans are spending $18 billion on bottled water each year, more than 10 percent of the global total.
Bottled water manufacturers would like us to believe that bottled water is safer than tap water because it goes through a filtration process, which improves the color, taste and smell, and eliminates specific contaminants. However, bottled water is not required to be 100-percent contaminant-free, but is generally considered safe.
Bottlers of water generally capitalize on consumer concerns about municipal water supplies, which in turn creates a higher demand for their product. But according to one report by the World Wildlife Fund International, Fresh Water Program, the only real difference for some bottled waters manufactures is that they distribute water through plastic bottles instead of pipes.
In fact, estimates are that twenty-five percent or more, and most likely as much as forty percent of bottled water is simply tap water that a bottling company has sometimes further treated, sometimes not, and then packaged in a bottle.
However, it is extremely hard to overlook the convenience factor of bottled water, particularly when on the go, still, a little forethought can go a long way by using portable and reusable bottles, especially since 10 to 15 percent of the price of bottled water goes towards advertising costs.
Choosing Bottled Water?
I have found that there are four criteria that should be used when choosing a bottle water for cooking, drinking, and other purposes in which the water is consumed internally or used on the body.
(1)
The water should be natural spring water and should state that on the bottle.
(2)
The water should be bottled at the source.
(3)
The water should test consistently for an alkaline pH level, above 7 pH.
(4)
The water should be bottled in glass, not in plastic
Achieving all four of the above criteria will most likely insure quality water. Still, bottled water that conforms to three of the four criteria can be considered safe and used when bottled water meeting all four criteria can not be found.
In the table below in column marked: Source-Bottled At, methinks, it is best to avoid all those marked as PWS, which are those bottled using the water from a Public Water Supply system. Personally, I always choose those which, in that same column are marked as BS, which are those Bottled At The Source.
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The
Bottled Water Table
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The bottled drinking water listed below is in order with the highest pH at the top to the lowest pH at the bottom. Several other liquids are included in the chart showing their pH level (and are for reference only) including: bleach; baking soda; milk; coffee; acid rain; tomato and orange juice; vinegar; and battery acid. Also included in this list are selected springs from around the continent.
The table horizontal color lines represent the colors on the pH litmus paper testing chart. Methinks, no matter what the source of the water nor how pure the water may be, any of those listed with a ph below 7.0, should not be used internally without first being treated with an alkalinizing agent.
Just below the Bottled Water Table is the list of abbreviations used in the table and their meanings. Just below that list of abbreviations is a list of Alkali Elements listing their name abbreviation and additional information of each element.
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Liquid/Container type
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Source-Bottled At
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Content (in mg)
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pH
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Bleach | | carcinogenic | 12.0
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Alkalife Ten, AS-E/PB | Blue Spg, Hamilton, GA-Miami | K 9.8; Na 3.3 | 11.0
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Essentia PD-E-I/PB | PWS-Bothell, WA. | Ca, K, Mg, NaHCO3 | 9.5
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Bath Springs | Yellowstone NP | Lower Geyser Basin | 9.3
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Aqua Hydrate, P-E/PB | PWS-Los Angeles, CA. | Na 10 | 9.0+
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Starkey, HS/PB | HS-Fruitvale, ID. | Na, Bicarb, Sulfate | 9.0
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Baking Soda | | | 9.0
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Evamor NAR/PB | BS Goodbee Well-Covingtn, LA. | F .18 | 8.8
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Crystal Geyser NAS/PB | BS Johnstown, NY.-CG Roxane, | (also 365 SW) | 8.7
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Absopure NS/PB | Nat. Spg-Jackson County, MI. | Na 0 | 8.5
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Hot Sulphur Spr HS | Grand County, CO. | Ca 15; Na 435 | 8.5
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El Dorado NS/PB | BS El Dor. Spr.-El Dor. Spr, CO. | | 8.4
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Icelandic Glacial NS/GB | BS Ölfus Spring-Ölfus, Iceland. | | 8.4
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Grand Prismatic Sprs | Yellowstone NP | Midway Gey. Basin | 8.3
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Crystal Geyser NAS/PB | BS Weed, CA.-CG Roxane | | 8.3
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Nirvana P.Pure NS/PB | Nirvana Spr-Forestport, NY. | Ca 17; Na 4 | 8.2
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Crystal Geyser NAS/PB | BS Salem, SC.-CG Roxane | | 8.1
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Crystal Geyser NAS/PB | BS Sierra NV.-CG Roxane | | 8.0
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Crystal Geyser NAS/PB | BS Moultonborough, NH.-CG Ro | | 8.0
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RE2AL Alkalize. PD-I/PB | PWS-Las Vegas, NV. | | 8.0
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Callaway Blue S/PB | BS Callaway Spr-Hamilton, GA.
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Crystal Geyser NAS/PB | BS Norman, AR.-CG Roxane | | 7.9
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Clear Alaskan GPD | Eklutna Lake-Chgiak, AK. | Ca 21; Na 2.5; | 7.8
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Mountain Valley S/GB | BS-Hot Springs, AR. | Ca 74, Mg 7 | 7.8
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Cascade Mountain S/GB | BS, Ginger Spr. Butte Falls, OR. | | 7.8
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Evian/PB | Évian-les-Bains, France. | Na 0 | 7.6
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Vital/PB | www.vibrantvitalwater.com. | | 7.6
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Zephyrhills B/PB | Florida Springs-Nestle Corp. | | 7.6
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S. Pellegrino SK NM/GB | San Pell. Terme, Italy-Nestle Co | Na 10 | 7.5
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Acqua Panna NS/GB | Tuscany, Italy. | Na 0 | 7.5
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Ice Age Premium G/PB | Alpine Creek-BC. Canada
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Whittington Spring | Hot Springs National Park
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Arrowhead/PB | California Springs-Nestle Corp.
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FIJI/GB | Fiji, South Pacific. | | 7.2
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Resource NS-E/PB | CA and PA Springs-Nestle Corp. | Na 0 | 7.1
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Ice Mountain NS/PB | MI and PA Springs-Nestle Corp. | Na 1-6; F .35 | 7.1
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Ethos NS/PB | Baxter Springs, CA.-Starbucks | | 7.0
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Crystal Geyser NAS/PB | BS Benton, TN.-CG Roxane | | 6.9
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365 S/PB | BS Roxane Spr-for Whole Foods
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Voss AR/GB | BS Oslo, Norway. | Na 0 | 6.5
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Deer Park B/PB | East Coast Springs-Nestle Corp. | | 6.3
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Poland S/PB | Maine Springs-Nestle Corp. | | 6.0
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365 E/PB | Whole Foods Market Austin, TX,
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Milk | | | 6.0
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Smart B/PB | PWS-Coca-Cola | vapor distilled | 5.9
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Crystal Geyser SK | CG Roxane. | | 5.7
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Perrier AR/GB | Vergèze Spr, France-Nestle Co. | | 5.5
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Sam′s Choice PD/PB | PWS-Walmart Co. | | 5.5
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Tub Spring Wayside | State Highway 66 | Pinehurst, Oregon | 5.5
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Aquafina B/PB | PWS-Pepsi Co. | | 5.4
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Ozarka S/PB | Texas Springs-Nestle Corp. | | 5.4
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Kroger PD | PWS-Kroger Co. | | 5.0
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Coffee | | | 5.0
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Great Value D/PB | PWS-Walmart Co. | | 4.5
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Acid Rain | Worst recorded in the US | | 4.3
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Tomato Juice | | | 4.0
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Mud Volcano | Yellowstone NP | Norris Geyser Basin | 4.0
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Propel Fitness P-E/PB | PWS-Gatorade Co. | | 3.4
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Vitamin Water B/PB | PWS-Coca Cola Co. | | 3.4
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Orange Juice | | | 3.0
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Vinegar | | | 3.0
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Dasani B/PB | PWS-Coca Cola Co.
1
| | 3.0
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Lemon Juice | | | 2.0
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Battery Acid | | | 1.0
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List of Abbreviations
AR: artesian water;
AS: alkaline spring water;
B: Bottled water;
BS: Bottled at the Source;
D: distilled water;
E: electrolyte water;
F: Flouride (in PPM);
G: glacial water;
GB: glass bottle;
GPD: glacial purified drinking water;
HS: hot springs;
NAR: natural artesian water;
NAS: natural alpine spring water;
Nat.: Natural;
NM: natural mineral water;
NS: natural spring water;
P: purified water;
PB: plastic bottle;
PD: purified drinking water.
PM: Parts per million;
PWS: public water supply;
S: spring water;
Spg: spring or springs;
SK: Sparkling Water
-E: with added electrolytes (one or more from the above list of alkali elements, alkalizing elements and compounds);
-I: ionizated.
List of Alkali Elements:
Alkali Elements:
Format:
Name (Abbreviation, Atomic number [00], Element Group: alkali metal [am], alkaline earth [ae], transitional metal [tm], pH)
Calcium (Ca, 20, ae, 12.0 pH);
Magnesium (Mg, 12, ae, 9.0 pH);
Potassium (K, 19, am, 14.0 pH);
Sodium (Na, 11, am, 14.0 pH);
Other Alkalizing Elements and Compounds:
Copper (Cu, 29, tm);
Chromium (Cr, 24, tm);
Iodine (I, 53, halogen nonmetals);
Iron (Fe, 26, tm);
Manganese (Mn, 25, tm);
Molybdenm (Mo, 42, tm);
Selenium (Se, 34, nonmetal);
Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3);
Zinc (Zn, 30, tm)
Uncommon Alkali Minerals:
Cesium (Cs, 55, am, 14.0 Ph;
Francium (Fr, 87, am, radioactive);
Lithium (Li, 03, am);
Rubidium (Rb, 37, am)
Notes:
All elements when listed in the Content column and include an amount, then the amount given is in parts per million (PPM).
Bottled Water Table Last Updated: 17 November 2020
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This Page Last Updated: 31 May 2026
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