WATER SELECTION
The selection of water available to a consumer is very diverse. Water differs according to many criteria, e.g. quality or purity, composition, source, chemical treatment or lack thereof, bubble content, accessible form (tap, bottled water, etc.) and many more.
The first and foremost difference derives from the water sources. Slovenian rivers and lakes often take our breath away with their unparalleled beauty.
Groundwater is an asset that we cannot see and often do not even know where it is located. It seeps through the pores and cracks of the soil and rock. We can only admire it at springs, or in our karst caves. In terms of source, we distinguish between groundwater, surface water and similar. There are many differences between them.
TAP WATER
Drinking water sources include surface water, such as rivers and lakes, rainwater or groundwater. These water sources are very sensitive and unstable in quality, surface water in particular. Springs or drinking water catchments can be very distant from users, several kilometres even, which represents a higher risk of contamination. A water supply system that is of older date or poorly maintained poses additional risks – in some cases, pipes are still made of asbestos.
GROUNDWATER
Groundwater is stored in sediments and rocks that are moderately to highly permeable. They are called aquifers. They can be found near the Earth's surface or hundreds of meters below it. The importance of groundwater is underpinned by the fact that it is the source of drinking water for approximately 97% of the population of Slovenia. The water quality of many important aquifers meets all the requirements for drinking water. Therefore, it can be enjoyed in its natural state, which is a great advantage for Slovenia, as this is a rarity in Europe and elsewhere in the world.
Natural mineral water comes from its own source underground that is completely protected from any contamination. Such water is normally bottled at the source or transmitted to the bottling plant through short pipelines. It is collected practically at the site of origin.
The term natural or original purity of water means that the water is exactly as it was in nature. Tap water is usually treated or processed chemically (disinfection with chlorine or chloride oxide) or by other processes (by filtration or UV processing). Some treatment processes change the composition of the water. Chemical procedures lead to residual disinfection decomposition products that can be harmful to health (e.g. water chlorination results in a residue of chlorate).
Unlike drinking water, it is not permitted to chemically process natural mineral water to improve or modify its basic composition. Therefore, natural mineral water can be said to be originally pure.
Water also differs in terms of purity and pollutant content such as pesticides. The strictest criteria of purity apply to natural mineral water, since it may contain no pollutants. These are defined in the Rules on natural mineral water, spring water and table water (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 50/2004 with amendments and supplements). Natural mineral water cannot be artificially produced, since its name and source must be confirmed in a decision by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.
Due to the diverse range, it is of even greater importance that we inquire about what the market offers and the characteristics of each type of water. In any case, the advantage of bottled natural mineral water is that the label indicates its main composition, which is unfortunately not possible for tap water. However, we can contact a drinking water distributor to provide a water analysis.
The natural mineral water label provides a lot of data; composition, source, packager and markings on the packaging also allow for the traceability of water. Each bottle can be traced back and matched with quality and safety tests.
The most common packaging for water is PET plastic packaging. PC packaging (i.e. barrels – 18.9 l) and glass packaging are used to a smaller extent. Consumers prefer plastic bottles because such packaging is more convenient, lighter, cheaper and still high quality. PET material does not contain harmful BPA, it is safe and 100% recyclable.
Dana natural mineral water is filled in plastic bottles made of PET that comply with all European and Slovenian regulations governing the quality of materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. They do not contain any materials that would endanger human health. This is substantiated by the relevant declarations on the quality of the packaging products obtained from the suppliers and by the test reports and declarations of conformity obtained from the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food.
The term natural or original purity of water means that the water is exactly as it was in nature. Tap water is usually treated or processed chemically (disinfection with chlorine or chloride oxide) or by other processes (by filtration or UV processing). Some treatment processes change the composition of the water. Chemical procedures lead to residual disinfection decomposition products that can be harmful to health (e.g. water chlorination results in a residue of chlorate).
Unlike drinking water, it is not permitted to chemically process natural mineral water to improve or modify its basic composition. Therefore, natural mineral water can be said to be originally pure.
Water also differs in terms of purity and pollutant content such as pesticides. The strictest criteria of purity apply to natural mineral water, since it may contain no pollutants. These are defined in the Rules on natural mineral water, spring water and table water (Official Gazette of the RS, No. 50/2004 with amendments and supplements). Natural mineral water cannot be artificially produced, since its name and source must be confirmed in a decision by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food.
Due to the diverse range, it is of even greater importance that we inquire about what the market offers and the characteristics of each type of water. In any case, the advantage of bottled natural mineral water is that the label indicates its main composition, which is unfortunately not possible for tap water. However, we can contact a drinking water distributor to provide a water analysis.
The natural mineral water label provides a lot of data; composition, source, packager and markings on the packaging also allow for the traceability of water. Each bottle can be traced back and matched with quality and safety tests.
The most common packaging for water is PET plastic packaging. PC packaging (i.e. barrels – 18.9 l) and glass packaging are used to a smaller extent. Consumers prefer plastic bottles because such packaging is more convenient, lighter, cheaper and still high quality. PET material does not contain harmful BPA, it is safe and 100% recyclable.
Dana natural mineral water is filled in plastic bottles made of PET that comply with all European and Slovenian regulations governing the quality of materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. They do not contain any materials that would endanger human health. This is substantiated by the relevant declarations on the quality of the packaging products obtained from the suppliers and by the test reports and declarations of conformity obtained from the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food.
Which water to choose
There is no doubt that bottled water is more convenient; however, it also greatly varies. In accordance with the EU legislation, there are four types of bottled water:
- natural mineral water,
- spring water,
- table water,
- bottled drinking water.
Almost 97% of bottled water sold in Europe is natural mineral water or spring water in terms of quality.
Natural mineral water is exclusively water that originates from a protected underground source, bottled at the source and/or spring, with a known, constant and declared composition, without any traces of pollutants and pesticides, and may not be chemically or otherwise treated in any way in order to achieve conformity.
Dana natural mineral water is subject to very strict control and guarantees full traceability and therefore guaranteed quality for the consumer. It represents the highest quality standard among bottled waters and meets all the requirements.
Conversely, tap water in almost all cases comes from a public water supply system. Its source is mixed surface waters whose composition or constancy is most often unknown to the user. Tap water is for the most part chemically or otherwise pre-treated to ensure safety and constancy throughout the water supply system. Chemical additives in tap water usually result in decomposition products and affect the taste and smell (e.g. chlorine). The quality of tap water also significantly depends on the quality of the plumbing system.
What kind of tests are done on water
Bottled water is a food product. Food and the food industry are under constant control conducted by the relevant inspection bodies, and according to the law, the industry must set up internal control based on the HACCP system. Natural mineral water only includes water that has been designated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, meets very strict criteria of purity and is checked annually by an authorised organisation (such as the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food). After being recognised as such, the constancy of its quality, purity and composition are monitored for several years and it is then approved by the Ministry. Afterwards, the manufacturer must ensure its consistency with internal and external analyses at all times, and at least once a year conduct a regular inspection of the bottling plant, equipment, packaging, water source quality and water quality upon and after bottling.