Water is one of the most critical aspects to life, vitality and wellness, but making a decision on drinking water can be a bit confusing. For some, it is all about cost. Tap water is certainly the cheapest, but is it the best option for hydrating your body? Other waters undergo extreme purification and filtration processes, making them more costly. Some claim to be natural or pure, but what exactly does that mean? Below is a breakdown of the most common types of drinking water options, to help you decide which option is best for you!
Tap - Cheap, but not always the cleanest. Undergoes basic filtration and chemical processes to eliminate large particles. Chlorine is added to kill bacteria and microorganisms. States and cities have different standards and requirements for tap water.
Spring - Comes from a natural underground source. Often Spring water claims to be “100% pure” which only refers to the source, not the actual water. Spring water can contain impurities, and may even require filtration.
Filtered - Most often a municipal tap water source that is run through carbon filters to remove the chlorine so it tastes better. Sometimes it is run through an even smaller filter.
Purified - May come from any source, and all impurities must be removed to meet standards. It is the most pure option in comparison to the above options. It can also be cleansed and purified through other processes like reverse osmosis, distillation, or deionization. Labels on bottles should specify purification process.
Distilled - Undergoes the process of distillation. Pure H2O is boiled out (vaporized) of the ALL the impurities, including all the minerals and other components that regular water contains.
Reverse Osmosis (RO) - Regular water is forced through an extremely fine membranous filtering system where all dissolved inorganic solids like salt, lead, copper and other molecules and impurities are removed. This is one of the purest forms of water.
Mineral - For some, this is an acquired taste. Mineral water comes from a natural source, such as a well or spring, and is rich in naturally occurring minerals. It is bottled directly from the source without any chemical additives. It may undergo a minimal filtering process to ensure purity.
Mineralized - Often tap or bottled water with minerals (often inorganic minerals) artificially added, usually for taste.
Sparkling (or carbonated) - This water undergoes a process in which carbon dioxide gas under pressure is dissolved into it, called carbonation. This gives it the fizzy, bubbly soda water properties. Usually there are no additives to this water, but occasionally there will be some additives such as sodium, and it can be used to make soda beverages.
De-ionized (DI) - This water has passed through a chamber where particles in the water are chemically removed through a deionization process. This process removes all chlorine and other substances that can only be dissolved ionically. This process combined with Reverse Osmosis is a preferred option for many.
