Water is the most important resource on the planet. How could it be otherwise? If a person can live for up to two months without food, dehydration can lead to irreversible consequences in just a few days. This is because the human body is about 60% water it is even in our bones.
Poor environmental conditions and climate change harm nature, and as a result, the number of sources of clean, fresh water decreases each year. Not surprisingly, resourceful entrepreneurs have decided to capitalize on this global catastrophe by turning ordinary water into big business.
However, not all companies are equally conscientious. Some seek to attract customers with high-quality products, while others violate standards to reduce production costs and sell as much water of dubious origin as possible. We have compiled a list of the most famous brands with strong reputations and high trustworthiness.
The drinking water market is divided between large transnational corporations. The American companies The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo hold the leading positions. Valpre, Dasani, BonAqua, and Glaceau Smartwater were the first manufacturer-owned brands. The second owns Aqua Minerale and Aquafina.
The French company Danone Group also produces bottled water. It is sold under various trademarks, the most famous of which are Volvic and Evian. The Swiss corporation Nestlé S.A. owns several specialized brands: Poland Spring, Deer Park, Panna, Contrex, Vittel, San Pellegrino, and Perrier.
There are many highly reputable bottled water producers on the market. However, our list includes only 13 of the most popular brands that stand out for something unusual, such as history or unique freshwater sources. They are listed in no particular order. Most of them sell both carbonated and non-carbonated water.
Acqua Panna
Acqua Panna is an Italian brand owned by the Swiss company Nestlé. It sells artesian water, which is underground mineral water extracted from an artesian well. The source is located in a nature reserve in the mountainous part of Tuscany, where high hills are densely forested.
The untouched, ecologically clean nature is not the only reason for the emergence of Acqua Panna. This brand originated with the oligarchic Medici family, which liked to vacation at Villa Panna and host guests there. They were the first to pay attention to the local water. In 1860, the Marquis Torrigiani began pouring it into huge 54-liter bottles and selling it.
The artesian spring is characterized by low sodium content and a high concentration of sulfates and bicarbonates. Its water has a balanced flavor and is therefore suitable for cooking a variety of dishes.
Evian
The French company Evian is part of the multinational corporation Danone. It produces bottled water taken from several springs in the elite resort town of Evian-les-Bains.
Local water was recognized as useful as early as 1789. But it did not become popular until the 1800s when a Geneva entrepreneur bought the springs and founded the Société des Eaux Minérales d’Évian, which soon went bankrupt. Another attempt to produce bottled water was made in 1859 when Parisian investors created the company Cachat Mineral Waters SA. It became the ancestor of the modern brand Evian.
The uniqueness of the water lies in the fact that it seeps through layers of underground rocks, is purified and enriched with minerals, and then emerges from the mountain springs. The natural filtration process takes about 15 years.
Ferrarelle Naturally Sparkling Mineral Water
Ferrarelle mineral water is naturally gassed, not in a factory, but underground, passing through the bowels of the extinct volcano Roccamonfina. It rises from underground as a fountain in the center of the Sorgenti di Riardo Park. The cold geyser is surrounded by groves of oak and olive trees, which enhance local ecology.
Ferrarelle itself was founded in 1893. However, Italians have been using this unique source for more than 10 centuries because the water has a pleasant, rich flavor. It contains a large number of minerals, including:
- fluoride;
- magnesium;
- potassium;
- calcium.
This water is much more balanced than carbonated water and tastes better than non-carbonated water. However, due to its high acidity, it is not suitable for everyone.
Fiji
Previously, this brand was called Natural Waters of Viti Ltd. But a few years after its foundation, it was renamed in honor of the island country whose territory includes the location of its factory. Interestingly, Fiji Water is registered in the US and headquartered in Los Angeles.
The source of clean and fresh water is an artesian well drilled on the northern coast of the island of Viti Levu. It is bottled in plastic bottles and shipped overseas to more than 60 countries. Ironically, 12% of Fijians living near this production have no access to quality drinking water. Until 2018, this percentage was four times higher, but a Fiji company has set up a fund to provide people with free filters.
Fiji positions itself as a premium bottled water. Its benefits are:
- higher electrolyte content;
- mild flavor;
- original square bottle.
FJORD
Fjord Water was founded in 2014 through close cooperation between the international firm Gunderson Dettmer and the Norwegian government. It produces bottled water that meets high standards. For this purpose, laboratory analyses are conducted hourly at the plant to confirm product quality.
Fjord’s homeland is the picturesque Norwegian municipality of Fyresdal, known for its forests, mountains, and narrow sea bays. It is considered one of the most ecologically clean places in the world, which makes the local water healthy and safe. Thanks to its balanced composition and low mineralization, it is suitable for daily consumption.
Fjord is spring water from the Telemark spring, where the temperature never drops below 8 degrees Celsius. Consumers note its refreshing, slightly sweet taste and convenient bottle shape.
Gerolsteiner
German company Gerolsteiner Brunnen GmbH & Co. KG sells mineral water under the Gerolsteiner brand. It is named after the town of Gerolstein, where the first well was drilled in 1888, which started a major business. The local water became popular due to its high carbon dioxide content. Even Buckingham Palace drank it.
In the early years, bottled water was sold only in Germany, but it later began to be exported to Australia, the United States, and other countries. At the same time, the company had to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to meet modern market trends.
Due to the balanced amount of bicarbonate, magnesium, and calcium, the water has a pleasant, fresh taste with nothing extra. However, it should be noted that it is very acidic: its pH is almost the same as that of rainwater.
Hildon Natural Mineral Water
The British company Hildon does not just extract water and sell it; it also protects its source so that the surrounding environment remains ecologically clean. The field is located in the Hampshire countryside, which is characterized by a very rich flora and fauna. There is an ancient estate underneath which, at great depths, the water is filtered through unique layers of limestone. This removes all harmful impurities.
The company does not change the product’s chemical composition but only slightly saturates it with carbon dioxide before bottling it in the branded Bordeaux bottles. Hildon’s neutral acidity makes it ideal for wine and food tasting.
Icelandic Glacial
The Icelandic Glacial brand is owned by Icelandic Water Holdings, a company founded in 2004. Its homeland is Iceland, a unique place with a pristine ecosystem. It is there that the Ölfus spring, formed by a volcanic eruption, lies deep underground. It is replenished by precipitation and snowmelt. The water filters through layers of solidified lava and enters an underground reservoir, from which it then flows into the ocean.
Iceland’s glacial automated plant extracts this water by maintaining a special pressure that eliminates contact with the surrounding air. It is bottled directly from the source without further purification or mineralization. This product has a pleasant taste and does not need to be treated, as it is naturally produced. The sculptural neck of the bottle, shaped like a glacier, emphasizes its crystal clarity and freshness.
Mountain Valley Spring Water
The birthplace of Mountain Valley Spring Water is the resort town of Hot Springs, Arkansas. There is a protected spring with a unique mineral composition. This water became famous in 1871 when a local pharmacist began bottling it and selling it under the name Lockett’s Spring Water. He later rebranded the brand after a nearby small settlement.
Clinical trials have proven that this water helps with rheumatism and liver and kidney disease. No wonder it was favored by US presidents and other influential people, such as Gene Tunney, Joe Louis, and Elvis Presley.
Vichy Catalan
The Vichy Catalan brand is named after the thermal spring near the bottling plant. The cozy paradise in the Spanish municipality of Caldas de Malavella has been used for hydrotherapy since ancient times: archaeologists have found many fragments of Roman baths here.
In 1889, bottled water production began here. It appeared on pharmacy shelves and was sold as a remedy for hypertension and liver and stomach diseases. Over time, people began to drink it without a prescription.
In 1959, the plant was mechanized, which increased sales by 3.5 times. Of course, the growing popularity of water affected its physical and chemical properties. The high content of carbonates and salts, along with the excellent taste of Vichy Catalan, made the brand famous worldwide.
Volvic
The Volvic natural mineral water spring is located in the Chaîne des Puys-Limagne rift, where 80 volcanoes stretch in a long line. This area, with its unique landscape, is the result of a phenomenon that split the continents. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its integral part is the volcanic impluvium, a large groundwater deposit.
The first spring in this region of France appeared in the 1920s. By the end of the 1930s, it had become the basis of business: people began to willingly buy bottled water extracted from the foot of dormant volcanoes. It naturally filters through solidified lava, becoming enriched with beneficial substances along the way.
Volvic water is light enough to contain few minerals so that it can be consumed daily. It is excellent for quenching thirst and contains sufficient sodium, potassium, and magnesium.
Voss
Despite the name, Voss still and carbonated water is bottled not in the municipality of Voss, but in Iveland. It is there, in the picturesque village of Vatnestrøm, where an artesian well, a unique source among the Norwegian glaciers, is located.
The local water has a refreshing, light taste because it has low overall mineralization. This makes it suitable for daily consumption. At the same time, it contains a sufficient amount of magnesium and calcium, which are involved in the most important metabolic processes, and is practically free of nitrates and fluoride.
The brand belongs to the American company Voss of Norway AS, so the products are focused on the United States, although they are sold in several dozen countries. You can recognize this water by its trademark cylindrical glass bottles (or, less often, plastic bottles).
WildAlp
WildAlp is a trademark of the Austrian company Wildalpen Wasserverwertungs GmbH, which has been selling water from the Hochschwab mountain range since 1999. This area, located in the Northern Limestone Alps, is rich in natural resources. One of the local treasures is the underground springs with natural filtration: the water is purified and oxygenated as it passes through karst formations.
WildAlp products are suitable for both children and adults because they contain very few minerals. The low sodium content makes this water ideal for those on a salt-free diet. It quenches thirst, improves digestion, and maintains energy balance. Of special note is the WildAlp Fullmoon line, a unique water bottle available only during the full moon.
FAQ
What are the benefits of water?
Our blood consists of at least 90% water; our brain, 75-80%; muscles, 75%; and bones, 25%. That is, water is the basis of the human body, and its lack can lead to death. It helps convert food into energy, transports oxygen, nutrients, antibodies, and hormones, and assists in the absorption of vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Thus, it indirectly supports the immune system.
In addition, water maintains the shape of organs and helps regulate body temperature. It also improves skin health, as youth and health are directly dependent on regeneration. When dehydration occurs, cell renewal stops.
How much water should you drink per day?
It depends on the person’s weight and age. On average, an adult drinks 2-3 liters of water per day. However, there may be restrictions related to health conditions. For example, if you have kidney stones or a tendency to severe edema, you should drink less liquid.
How to choose the right water?
Bottled water from world brands varies in taste, composition, and even color because it is sourced from different places. Ideally, it should be:
- clean: from it should be excluded substances that can cause health problems;
- balanced: drinking water should have the correct hardness, acidity, alkalinity, and salt content.
- natural: the best sources are springs, artesian wells, and cold geysers.
When buying bottled water, pay attention to the label, primarily to the composition and purpose. A product with high mineralization may not suit everyone because it is a medicinal product with its own indications and contraindications. Another significant factor is the shelf life. In a plastic bottle, water can remain safe for up to 18 months, and in glass containers, up to 2 years.