Spring water vs drinking water

[Q]

I buy bottled water (1 gal) from the store (no real reason, I just like to stick a gallon in the fridge for myself so I don't have to get ice, etc at my apt)

Anyway, there is always 2 types of water (store brand): spring and drinking water. I read both labels, both say the exact same thing.

I looked online, and a site says this:

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 or 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

then

Spring Water: Bottled water derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth. Spring water must be collected only at the spring or through a bore hole tapping the underground formation and 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.

So which one is cleaner/better to drink? I buy spring just because when I look at Deer Park, etc it says spring water as well.

 

[Leros]

Try them both and get the one you think tastes best.

 

[zinfamous]

marketing.

 

[SsupernovaE]

The more expensive one will add 10 years to your life.

 

[rh71]

I had the same problem when I am at Walmart. Their drinking water is done by reverse osmosis and now I guess spring water is actually natural. So I'm thinking drinking water is "cleaner"?

 

[frostedflakes]

Spring water would be water from springs (naturally purified), and drinking water is purified in a conventional water treatment facility?

Although I have to wonder where "spring" water really comes from. It's probably the same stuff, just marketed differently.

 

[Q]

Originally posted by: SsupernovaE
The more expensive one will add 10 years to your life.

Sounds awesome I'm going to keep buying spring water then

 

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
Spring water would be water from springs (naturally purified), and drinking water is purified in a conventional water treatment facility?

Although I have to wonder where "spring" water really comes from. It's probably the same stuff, just marketed differently.

Both are usually purified, at least for bacteria. Spring water is sourced at a spring, drinking water may or may not be sourced at a spring. Both might be treated with RO, chlorine, UV, filtration, etc.

I prefer regulated tap water.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
Spring water would be water from springs (naturally purified), and drinking water is purified in a conventional water treatment facility?

Although I have to wonder where "spring" water really comes from. It's probably the same stuff, just marketed differently.

Correct. Spring water actually has to come from a natural spring, and it has to state on the bottle its source. I like both Deer Park and Poland Spring. Dasani and Aquafina are essentially the same as municipality water. That's not to say they are bad, but I prefer water that has been filtered naturally (spring or artesian). Yes, I can taste the difference in a blind test.

That's not to say I'm a water elitist. I'm fine with tap water, particularly NYC's tap water (which is good). I hate Rockland County (where I live) tap water, which has unpleasant taste.

 

[Q]

Well crono which tastes better?

 

[Jeff7]

How much does 1 gallon of the cheaper stuff cost?

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: Crono

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
Spring water would be water from springs (naturally purified), and drinking water is purified in a conventional water treatment facility?

Although I have to wonder where "spring" water really comes from. It's probably the same stuff, just marketed differently.

Correct. Spring water actually has to come from a natural spring, and it has to state on the bottle its source. I like both Deer Park and Poland Spring. Dasani and Aquafina are essentially the same as municipality water. That's not to say they are bad, but I prefer water that has been filtered naturally (spring or artesian). Yes, I can taste the difference in a blind test.

That's not to say I'm a water elitist. I'm fine with tap water, particularly NYC's tap water (which is good). I hate Rockland County (where I live) tap water, which has unpleasant taste.

Interesting, I'm the other way around. I don't like the "springy" taste of Poland Spring and to a lesser extent, Deer Park. I haven't tried straight-up tap water in a long time; I normally run it through a Brita filter (especially here in Philly; it helps get rid of the crappy "metallic" taste). Dasani and Aquafina are my preferred bottled waters (if I have to get bottled) because they taste "purer" - i.e. more like nothing at all. I can also taste the difference between bottled water and tap water (did a test with poland spring, dasani, and philly tap water - aced it 5/5 times).

 

[Red Squirrel]

I do electrolysis to all my water, capture the hydrogen and oxygen into two separate containers, anything else is filtered out of the process based on atom weight, magnetism, etc.

Then I rejoin the hydrogen and oxygen with a reverse electrolysis process to be left with pure H2O.

It's the only way to be sure.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: Quintox
Well crono which tastes better?

For store brand, go with spring. You may or may not notice a difference between the two.

For other brands, taste is subjective, and for water it's more about non-taste. But I think Poland Spring and Fiji are the best (Fiji is a little expensive). I haven't directly compared the two, so it's hard for me to say which is better. But I prefer both over tap water. Deer Park is comparable to Poland Spring. I think the difference - which isn't huge, by any means - between the different waters is the mineral content.

If you have access to good tap water, I say just use that rather than spending a lot more on bottled. IF not, just get the cheapest bottled water that is acceptable to you. We have Poland Spring delivery at my house at fairly reasonable price, and I am happy with it. I tried getting used to the tap water here, but something is off to my taste buds, and I trust my buds

 

[nerp]

I lay face down in the biggest puddle in my yard during rainstorms and slurp eagerly at the mud like a dog.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: nerp
I lay face down in the biggest puddle in my yard during rainstorms and slurp eagerly at the mud like a dog.

Do dogs really do that?

 

[alphatarget1]

probably just tap water