Did you know that 75% of Americans suffer from chronic dehydration? The symptoms of chronic dehydration include dizziness, fatigue, confusion, extreme thirst, and infrequent urination.
If you’re someone who suffers from chronic dehydration or you’d just like to increase your water intake, drinking from a water bottle can help. The great thing about bottled water is that you can carry it with you wherever you go.
But, where does drinking water come from? How does bottled water get from the outdoors to your local store? Check out this guide to learn some interesting facts about bottled water.
Table of Contents
1. Bottled Water Has Been Around for a Long Time
The process of bottling and selling water has been around for a very long time. The United Kingdom first began bottling and selling water in 1621 at the Holy Well. However, most people did not use this bottled water for drinking. Instead, they used it for spa-going and therapeutic purposes.
Bottling and selling drinking water first became a practice in the US in the 19th century. An innkeeper in Maine by the name of Jabez Ricker created the first bottled water company (Poland Springs) in 1844 after discovering the therapeutic properties and unique taste of water from his local spring.
After the birth of Poland Springs, many more bottled water companies began popping up throughout the country, and they quickly grew in popularity as more people started to learn about the harmful contaminants found in some urban water supplies.
2. Making Bottled Water is a Multi-Step Process
Bringing bottled water to your local grocery store shelves involves a lot more than just dunking a bottle of water into a natural spring. Here’s what the process involves:
- Coagulation and Flocculation: This involves adding positively charged chemicals to the water to remove dirt and other contaminants
- Filtration: This involves removing harmful particles from the water such as bacteria, viruses, dust, and parasites
- Disinfection: Chlorine or some other disinfectant is added to the water to kill more contaminants
A bottled water company may also add carbon dioxide to its water production line to create sparkling water.
3. Bottled Water is Popular Worldwide
The US isn’t the only country that loves drinking bottled water. Here are the countries that consume the most bottled water other than the US:
- China
- Mexico
- Indonesia
- Brazil
- Thailand
- Italy
- Germany
- France
- India
In China alone, citizens consume 10.42 billion gallons of bottled water per year! Part of the reason China consumes so much bottled water is because they have a huge population. China also has a huge pollution problem, and it can be difficult to remove contaminants in drinking water for so many people.
Where Does Drinking Water Come From?: Are You Ready to Try Some Bottled Water?
Now that we’ve answered the question, “Where does drinking water come from?”, it’s time for you to give bottled water a try. Hopefully, you’ll have the same eye-opening experience that Jabez Ricker did back in 1844.
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more water-related facts and news.
