International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) defined spring water as ‘..water derived form a underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth.. and is not derived from a municipal system or public water supply’.
An aquifer is a geologic formation or group of hydraulically connected geologic formations storing and transmitting significant quantities of potable groundwater.
The water must be collected at the spring or through a borehole tapping the underground formation that feeds the spring.
Due to its high quality, spring water usually does not requires any treatment as for instance screening, flocculation, clarification, filtration, the addition of chemicals or the use of ultraviolet light.
There have been various proposed classifications of springs, based on different characteristics, of which the most common are:
*Discharge rate and uniformity
*Character of the hydraulic head (pressure) creating the discharge
*Geologic structure controlling the discharge
*Water quality and temperature
Chemical analyses of spring water are useful in classifying the water by type and to determine potential uses where water quality is important.
For example, high total hardness requires excessive soap and detergent for laundering, high iron causes staining of sanitary fixture s and clothing, high fluoride causes dental fluorosis or staining of teeth.
What is spring water?
