Where does Crystal Mountain's water come from?
Our water comes directly from natural springs throughout the Tennessee Valley, far away from contaminants and city pollution.
Do you add anything to Crystal Mountain water?
No. Crystal Mountain 100% Natural Spring Water is just that... 100% natural. We add no flavorings, minerals, preservatives, or dangerous chemicals to our spring water. It's Crystal Clear, Naturally.
What is the difference between spring water and tap water?
While the tap water in the United States is more pure than the water found in the rest of the world, it may still contain chlorine, lead, bacteria, and other contaminants. Bottled water is considered a food product by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and, in many states, must meet separate and higher quality standards than those placed on tap water. In addition to those standards, Crystal Mountain is a member of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), and we subject our water to independent testing by the IBWA. Crystal Mountain water is also purified through ozonation, a natural process that purifies without leaving behind any odor or taste, and our water comes to you with the same mineral count at which it was tested. Tap water is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which allows for higher levels of substances such as copper, radon, chlorine, and lead. Tap water is often only tested at the processing facility, and many of the contaminants found in your tap water are picked up in the pipes on the way from the processing facility to your home. Furthermore, most municipal water supplies contain chlorine, which is added to kill bacteria. Chlorine not only smells and tastes bad, but it can produce trihalomethanes (THMs), which have been found to be carcinogenic. Crystal Mountain water contains none of these impurities or contaminants and comes to you clean and pure, straight from the source.
How is bottled water different than tap water?
Bottom line? Quality and taste. Water purity and taste are two of the principle differences between tap water and bottled water. Quality is in every container of bottled water. It's consistent and it is inspected and monitored by governmental agencies and private laboratories. Unfortunately, tap water can be inconsistent - sometimes relatively pure and sometimes contaminated. While bottled water originates from protected sources (75% comes from underground aquifers and springs), tap water comes primarily from rivers and lakes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported that hundreds of tap water sources have failed to meet minimum standards. Another important factor to consider is the distance that tap water has to travel through underground pipes before it reaches your faucet; it is easy to pick up contaminants and organic matter over such distances. Taste is the other major reason people prefer bottled water over tap water. Chlorine is often used to disinfect tap water; chlorine also tends to leave an aftertaste and may cause other problems. Some bottlers use ozone, a form of super-charged oxygen, and/or ultraviolet light to purify their water, neither of which leaves any taste or chemical trace in the water that you drink.
What is distilled water?
Distilled water is water which has been heated to the boiling point so that it becomes steam. When this happens any waterborne biological contaminants such as bacteria, parasites, chemicals, heavy metals, volatile gasses or cysts are separated out. The steam is then cooled and condensed back into a pure liquid form. Pure water contains no solids, minerals, or trace elements. Steam distilled water is the standard by which all other waters are measured.
I've read about Cryptosporidium being found in tap water. What is that?
Cryptosporidium is a waterborne parasite that lives in animals and can be passed into the water through their waste. Cryptosporidium oocysts from animal wastes have been found in rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs, and many other types of surface water.
How do I know that Cryptosporidium is not in my bottled water?
For starters, bottled water companies are required to use approved sources. There are two (2) types of sources from which bottled water can be drawn:
(1) Natural Sources (springs and wells) - By law, these sources must be protected from surface intrusion and other environmental influences. This requirement ensures that surface water contaminants such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia are not present.
(2) Potable Municipal Supplies - Bottled water companies that use these sources reprocess this water using methods such as distillation, reverse osmosis, deionization, and filtration. This ensures that the finished product is very different - in composition and taste - from the original source water. All IBWA member companies that use municipal water supplies are encouraged to employ at least one of the three processing methods recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for effective removal of microbial (surface water) contaminants, including Cryptosporidium. These processing methods are reverse osmosis, one micron absolute filtration, and distillation. Ozonation may also prove to be an effective treatment for Cryptosporidium removal.
Is bottled water regulated?
The bottled water industry is regulated on three levels: federal, state, and trade association. FDA regulations, coupled with state and industry standards, offer consumers assurance that the bottled water they purchase is stringently regulated and tested, and is of the highest quality. The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) has been a long-standing proponent of additional federal regulations for bottled water and is active at all levels of the local, state, and federal government, assisting in the development of such regulations.
How is the bottle water industry regulated? What organization oversees the bottled water industry?
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) set standards and audits for water safety, purity, and quality. Members of the IBWA must meet strict industry standards established by the association. These standards, contained in the IBWA Model Code, exceed the FDA regulations currently in place for bottled water.
How do I know my bottled water is safe?
Consumers can trust that bottled water is safe for many reasons. The first is that bottled water is strictly regulated on the federal level by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and on the state level by state officials. This ensures that all bottled water sold in the United States meets these stringent standards. In addition, members of the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), who produce about 85% of the bottled water sold in the United States, must meet strict industry standards established by the association. These standards exceed the FDA regulations currently in place for bottled water. To ensure that all their bottled water is as safe as possible and of the highest quality, all IBWA members utilize at least one of the following practices: source protection and monitoring, reverse osmosis, distillation, filtration, ozonation, and disinfection. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bottled water has never been responsible for an outbreak of waterborne illness.
How should I properly store bottled water?
Bottled water should be stored in a cool (i.e. room temperature), dry environment, away from direct sunlight and chemicals such as household cleaning products and solvents such as gasoline, paint thinners. It should also be stored away from any other known toxic chemicals.
How long does bottled water stay fresh in storage?
The water will be good for one year from the date of bottling. You'll find the date of bottling printed on the label of each 5-gallon bottle and an expiration date printed on the labels of all other bottles of Crystal Mountain water.