Whenever you go to a restaurant, if you asked for a bottle of mineral water, they would just give you this bottled water. The water that is given to you could not be a MINERAL water. It could be (the one that i know.. refer to the bottom part for more types…):
- RO Water?
- Mineral Water?
- Distilled Water?
Any of this three are pretty much can be classified as drinking water, but I guess its like a slang in Malaysia such a way that if you say Mineral Water – its understood as Bottled Water. This happened to me yesterday whilst I was having dinner in Kenny Rogers Roasters – where I asked for mineral water, but I served with Distilled Water. No offence, but I did ask for mineral water specifically!! Grrr… Did I complained? Nope – because in the menu itself the management has cleverly put the item as bottled water lor..
What’s the difference between these three types of water…
Mineral Water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value. Salts, sulfur compounds, and gases are among the substances that can be dissolved in the water. Mineral water can often be effervescent. Mineral water can be prepared or can occur naturally. (Check Wiki)
RO Water
Water derived from the Reverse Osmosis process. Reverse osmosis is a separation process that uses pressure to force a solvent through a membrane that retains the solute on one side and allows the pure solvent to pass to the other side. More formally, it is the process of forcing a solvent from a region of high solute concentration through a membrane to a region of low solute concentration by applying a pressure in excess of the osmotic pressure. This is the reverse of the normal osmosis process, which is the natural movement of solvent from an area of low solute concentration, through a membrane, to an area of high solute concentration when no external pressure is applied. The membrane here is semipermeable, meaning it allows the passage of solvent but not of solute. (Check Wiki)
Distilled Water
Distilled water is water that has virtually all of its impurities removed through distillation. Distillation involves boiling the water and re-condensing the steam into a clean container, leaving most contaminants behind.
Which water do I like most? Well I strictly love mineral water. Distilled water and RO water to me taste like crap. Well its just a personal preference. Maybe I prefer some sort like the minerally taste! He he…The brand I like most…. Spritzer!
More types of drinking water – Reference from Wiki
- Artesian Water – This type of water that originates from a confined aquifer that has been tapped and in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer.
- Fluoridated Water – This type of water contains fluoride added within the limitations established in the FDA Code of Federal Regulations. This category includes water classified as “For Infants” or “Nursery.”
- Ground Water – This type of water is from an underground source that is under a pressure equal to or greater than atmospheric pressure.
- Mineral Water – This type of water contains at least 250 parts per million total dissolved solids (TDS). It comes from a source tapped at one or more bore holes or spring, and originates from a geologically and physically protected underground water source. No minerals may be added to this water.
- Purified water – This type of water has been produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis, or other suitable processes. Purified water may also be referred to as “demineralized water.” It meets the definition of “purified water” in the United States Pharmacopoeia.
- Sparkling Water – This type of water contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had at emergence from the source. The carbon dioxide may be removed and replenished after treatment.
- Spring Water – This type of water comes from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the Earth’s surface.
- Sterile Water – This type of water meets the requirements under “sterility tests” in the United States Pharmacopoeia.
- Well Water – This type of water is taken from a well.