Water Dispenser

The water dispenser industry is growing. Estimates have placed the market for bottled water in the U.S. as high as $100 billion annually, and judging by the statistics, that number is only going to climb. Bottles have definitely become the water dispensers of choice for Americans, with bottled water consumption increasing nearly 10% per year from 1999 to 2004.

Water types

Despite the fact that Americans carry water bottles around most everywhere they go, they've been slow to think of them as water dispensers. But a greater awareness of the water bottle as a water dispenser might bring attention to the different types of water that are sold in this popular water dispenser format.

Contrary to popular belief, not all the water sold in water dispensers is the same. For example, Pepsi produces Aquafina and Coke produces Dasani, though "produced" is a relative term: both Aquafina and Dasani are simply processed municipal water. So when you buy these products, what you're really paying for isn't water, but an overpriced plastic water dispenser.

All too often, consumers think that because they're buying a bottled water dispenser, the water inside must be from a delicious mountain stream just like the one pictured on the bottle. The FDA has set up very specific standards identifying water types. If you want to know what's in the water dispenser you're buying, take a minute to learn the terms listed below, and then call up your favorite water dispenser company and ask what type of water they're selling you.

Water dispensers containing the following types of water are drawing from a natural underground source: artesian water, ground water, mineral water, and spring water. If water is referred to as purified water or sterile water, ask what the source is. It could be processed seawater or municipal water. That doesn't mean it's unsafe or unhealthy, but at least you won't be spending $2 on water you could get a lot cheaper from a quality filtered water dispenser.