Recently I have been reading, more fittingly referencing, a tome called ‘Ground Water and Wells’, Second Addition and third printing 1989. Not a recent publication and a book I borrowed from work. It totals 1082 pages, the Appendix alone is 178 pages, more than many books. It’s a serious read and there are some jewels. Like what gives water its unusual dissolving powers, the reason mineral waters have minerals. The water molecule is made up of one negatively charged oxygen atom and two positively charged hydrogen atoms. However, the arrangement of the atoms is not symmetrical, but dipolar. At this point the book tells us that the earth is also dipolar, the north pole is positively charged while the south pole is negatively charged. Water is one of the few electrically unbalanced solvents, and for this reason reacts with charged rock forming minerals they come in contact with, stripping away and bonding with them. And this is the reason groundwater, more so than surface water, is mineral rich.

‘Wellsprings – A Natural History of Bottled Spring Waters’, as the name suggests is the authoritative work on the history of bottled spring water, from a US perspective. The book examines every aspect of bottled water, from geology and hydrology of springs, chemistry and microbiology of water, and evolution of the bottle. It also touches on law, ethics and marketing principals of the bottled water industry. What could easily have been a dry door stopper text book, is a well written enjoyable page turning read, I often find myself referring back to. Highly recommended for anyone with a serious interest in developing a bottled water source or brand.

The book has a US and convenience bottled water focus, and in particular Nestle and their purchase and commercialisation of Poland Spring in Maine and its impact on the local townspeople of Fryeburg (corporate vs small town America). There are though some well researched chapters about the treatment processes and delivery of traditonal ‘tap’ water which will get you wondering. A good read!

Water is at once the most ordinary and extraordinary substance because, without it, nothing else survives. Today, global pressures on freshwater raise the spectre of pollution scares, irrigation shortages, rivers so massively dammed and diverted they do not reach the sea, even of ‘water wars’. This No-Nonsense Guide examines the world water crisis in its many dimensions. Illustrated with easy to comprehend charts and images this book is a must read snapshot of the world we now live in from a water stress perspective.