The difference between Distilled Water and Spring Water has to do with the quality of the water. Spring water, if it comes from a clean source, will have minerals and possibly some minor impurities. Some spring water many have some contaminants, bacteria, and many impurities, including poop (at “safe” levels for consumption). Distilled water, on the other hand, is completely pure, just like rain before it hits the ground. Some people are concerned about drinking pure water without any minerals and thus choose to remineralize distilled water by adding minerals to it.
If you go to any grocery store or market, there is a wide variety of bottled water on hand. To an average consumer, the selection can be quite mind-boggling and downright overwhelming. Not all bottles of water are the same as some advertise themselves as purified while some as spring water, and some distilled water while others simply call themselves drinking water (and many time that literally means from the faucet). But, what exactly is the difference in the types of water that you are buying? Believe it or not, not all the water that is bottled is the same. Let’s take a look at some of the different types of drinking water and find out exactly what is in your bottle.
To start off, let’s talk about distilled water that has been through a very thorough distillation process. In this process, the water is purified multiple times to remove any possible contaminants such as harmful bacteria and other impurities in the water. As distilled water is rigorously treated, it also loses many of its vital nutrients and minerals that are present in the “normal” water. A person can drink distilled water, and some decide to add minerals to distilled water to get those nutrients back into water without any impurities, but it is also suited for uses in and around the home. Since it is so refined, it will not leave a heavy residue on many household appliances such as a teapot or kettle, and it’s perfect for washing your cars, mirrors, and windows.
Spring water may come from Cartesian wells, natural springs, and any other underground source of water. Of course, there have been some questions as to whether or not spring water actually comes from springs and such. Research suggests that some of spring water that is advertised in water battles is nothing more than tap water that is passed off as spring water (in fact, some manufacturers clearly state in their labels “municipal water source”, meaning, they took it from the faucet from the local city the plant is located and filled the bottles with it). Funny how some even say “pure spring water”.
Spring water is, unfortunately, not remotely as good as distilled water, but still has a lot of the minerals and nutrients that are essential to one’s health. That is not a problem with distilled water, since minerals can easily be added to any kind of water.
As with anything else, the key to knowing what you are getting is to research it for yourself. Sometimes just reading the labels in a water battle gives you all the answers you need. If your house is equipped with a well, make sure that you have the well water tested for contaminants and bacteria that can be harmful to your health. Many EPA agencies can test the water for you for a small price. This measure will ensure whether or not your water source is safe to drink and to use in your home. By the way, you can distill ALL kinds of water, so if you have a well you can distill that water too.
