How Bottled Water Is Made

Here we will go through the step-by-step process of how bottled water is made by the companies that sell bottled water. Many individuals assume that it is a quick and easy process of just putting water in a bottle, but the water itself has to go through many processes first before it can be bottled and sold.

These companies often use heavy machinery to get the job done, that can even require hearing protection. Some of the equipment used is similar to the standard home water filter, but it has a different setup with bigger parts.

Where does the bottled water comes from?

First off, the bottled water comes from either a spring or a well. This is the two most common sources of bottled water. The bottled water that companies produce can also come from rivers, lakes, or even just the municipal tap water.

Companies buy these pieces of land where the water is, then they use that water to make their own bottled water through their equipment.

How does the water from these sources get to the company’s facility?

Bottled water companies use a pipe that is usually made of stainless steel to connect to the water source. Stainless steel does not contaminate water when it comes in contact with it like lead can. Water cannot cause the stainless steel to rust, and the stainless steel is even safe if it is scratch or bumped.

The connection is hooked to a water pump that takes the water from the source, from underground, which eventually leads back to the facility where the company makes the bottled water. These connections are hooked to other machinery that allows the water to be filtered.

How is bottled water is made in the facility?

First off, the same water that goes into the facility that isn’t used for the day can be pumped back into the same source of where the water originated. This helps to save any water that wasn’t used.

The water is also metered most of the time to check and see how much water is being used to make the bottled water for the entire day. Some companies end up producing tens of thousands of gallons of bottled water a day or more.

Water filters

First the water from the source it is taken from enters the facility through the pipes, then goes through a 5 micron water filter. A 5 micron water filter is just a water filter that removes all of the larger particles out of the water (sediments).

These are the particles that can be visibly seen in the water with the naked eye, like rust, dirt, metal, sand, clay, and other debris for example. When water is filtered to create bottled water, all of the bigger particles in the water is always removed first, then filters are used to remove the smaller particles.

Sometimes the water goes from the 5 micron water filter into a pressure tank. A pressure tank is used to prolong the life of the water pump by storing water in it over time, that is released through pressure. It doesn’t filter water like a water filter would.

After the water goes through either the 5 micron water filter, or the pressure tank after the 5 micron water filter, it goes through a 1 micron water filter. The 1 micron filter filters out all of the particles in the water that are not seen to the naked eye.

Not every bottled water company uses the 1 micron filter. Some companies may use multiple 5 micron filters to prevent dirt and rust particles from getting into the water, as one 5 micron water filter may not get all of the particles out of the water the first time through.

The 5 micron water filter and 1 micron filter are not guaranteed to remove all the minerals found in water, which is a good thing. Mineral water is healthier, because of the minerals in it. Also, 0.5 micron water filters may be used to further pull out even smaller particles in the water.

However, some bottled water companies do not use these filters, but instead may use a reverse osmosis set up, which does remove the minerals in the water. Reverse osmosis set ups are still good, as they can filter out many things in the water that other filters can’t catch.

Also, minerals can be placed back into filtered water if the company so desires.

After the water passes through the micron water filters, it goes through a UV (ultraviolet) water purifier, which kills the bacteria in the water. These are extremely effective at killing the bacteria in the water, because they don’t contaminate the water with other chemicals in order to kill them.

Finally, the water goes through ozonation using an ozonator. This also effectively sterilizes the water without contaminating it, since no chemicals are used to sterilize the water.

Water distillation

Some bottled water companies also make their purified water by using water distillation. This means that they remove the impurities in the water by boiling or heating the water until it turns into a steam or a vapor. This steam/vapor is then collected and cooled, forming water again that is now purified.

This process is used to mimic the way that the earth is designed to purify water naturally. The earth does this through, evaporation and transpiration. Transpiration is when plants and trees take water from the soil to use, which is then expelled from their leave’s pores as water vapor into condensation.

Water can become clean through this process by earth in the form of rain or snow. However, it can almost immediately become contaminated again. Some bottled water companies mimic this process in a more controlled way that prevents this purified water from becoming contaminated again, after it as been collected from the cooled steam/vapors with machinery.

Plastic bottle blow molds and labeling

Plastic bottles can also be made by bottled water companies by blow molding plastic tubes. These plastic tubes start out pretty small and look like test tubes. These tubes are sent through heavy machinery that heat the plastic tubes, then blow them into plastic bottles.

These plastic bottles are sterilized before the purified water is actually placed in them through the use of machines, heat, and sterilizers. Bottled water companies are also capable of labeling their own plastic bottles with their own labels through the use of machinery.

The entire process of bottling the water, labeling the bottles, and capping the bottled water can be done with the usage of machines. These machines are capable of producing thousands of bottled water per hour.

Water testing

Some of the finished bottled water can also be sent to a laboratory in the facility to be tested for consistency by a lab technician. Lab technicians can test the water to ensure that it is clean, purified, free of bacteria, and safe to drink.

Shipping and selling the bottled water

The bottled water, after it is made, can be shipped and sold to small and large businesses of any kind that are willing to buy the bottled water products. They are loaded unto moving trucks with dollies and forklifts, and sent out to their designated location. This can be gas stations, a local bank that needs water, other stores, and restaurants.