Firstly, bottled water and municipal water are two different things in many ways. Bottled water itself comes in two varieties. There is natural spring water and processed water. An example of the former would be Poland Spring, Evian, Ty Nant or Naya. These waters come from naturally occurring springs and are usually bottled on site.

 

“Processed” waters are often derived from water from municipal sources which is then treated. Examples of this are Pepsi’s Aquafina and Coca Cola’s Dansai. Indeed, the UK launch of Dansai had to be halted when the press discovered that it was bottled water from the Thames water company.

 

Spring waters can have characteristics that do set them apart from processed water. Their mineral content gives them a particular taste, a glass of Evian is very distinctive and different from, say the Welsh Ty Nant. Most waters, despite any claims from their bottlers, do not offer any particular health benefits. The only exception may be Hepar, which has a high magnesium content and can be beneficial to pregnant women. Unfortunately Hepar is one of the few spring waters that tastes awful.

 

Many people find that municipal water has a particular taste too. Obviously this can vary dramatically from one town to another given differing water sources and different treatment methods. However, if you are drinking municipal water, you should consider using a filtering system such as that offered by the Brita company, which is low cost and effective at making tap water reasonable.

 

If you’re drinking water for every day consumption, then why not go for tap water? However from time to time, indulge yourself with an excellent Eau de Source to accompany a delightfully special and Zen meal.