Spring Water vs. Purified Water: What’s the Difference?
Quick Summary: Spring water comes from an underground source and keeps its natural minerals. Purified water can come from any source but is treated with reverse osmosis, distillation, or deionization to remove nearly everything but the water. Both are safe; the choice comes down to taste, use, and cost.
The main difference between spring water and purified water is where it comes from and how much it’s treated. Spring water comes from an underground source and keeps much of its natural mineral content, while purified water can come from any source but goes through intensive treatment, such as reverse osmosis, distillation, or deionization, that removes nearly everything except the water itself. Both are safe to drink; the right choice comes down to taste, how you use your water, and cost.
Standing in the bottled water aisle, it’s easy to feel lost among labels like “spring,” “purified,” “distilled,” and “deionized.” Below, we break down what each term means, how spring and purified water compare on taste, health, and cost, and what kind of water Culligan delivers to homes and offices around Hagerstown, Harrisonburg, Ruckersville, and Salem and Roanoke.
What Is Spring Water?
Under FDA labeling rules, water sold as “spring water” has to come from an underground formation that naturally flows to the surface. It can be collected at the spring itself or through a borehole that taps the same underground source. That’s why spring water labels often name a specific spring or region.
Spring water can be filtered and disinfected before bottling, but it’s meant to keep the natural character of its source. That includes dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium that the water picks up as it moves through rock and soil. Those minerals are a big part of why many people describe spring water as having a fuller or “crisper” taste.
Because every spring is different, the mineral content and flavor of spring water vary from brand to brand, and sometimes from season to season.
What Is Purified Water?
Purified water is defined by how it’s treated rather than where it comes from. It can start as groundwater, spring water, or municipal tap water. To be labeled “purified,” it has to be treated with a process that removes dissolved solids and other impurities to a very low level. The most common methods are:
- Reverse osmosis (RO): Water is pushed through a semipermeable membrane that holds back dissolved minerals, salts, and many contaminants. This is the most common method for purified bottled water.
- Distillation: Water is boiled into steam and condensed back into liquid, leaving minerals and many impurities behind.
- Deionization: Water passes through ion-exchange resins that remove charged mineral particles. It’s often used alongside other treatment steps.
When a label says “reverse osmosis water,” “distilled water,” or “deionized water,” it’s describing purified water. Some bottlers add a small amount of minerals back after purification for flavor, which is why you’ll sometimes see “minerals added for taste” on purified water labels.
Spring Water vs. Purified Water: A Quick Comparison
| Spring Water | Purified Water | |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Underground spring or borehole tapping the same formation | Any source, including groundwater or municipal water |
| Treatment | Filtered and disinfected, but keeps its natural character | Reverse osmosis, distillation, deionization, or similar processes |
| Minerals | Naturally occurring minerals such as calcium and magnesium | Very low; some brands add minerals back for taste |
| Taste | Varies by source; often described as crisp or fuller | Clean and neutral; consistent from batch to batch |
| Best for | People who prefer a mineral taste | Consistent drinking water, coffee and tea, small appliances |
| Typical cost | Often higher due to sourcing and transport | Often lower; cheapest when made at home with an RO system |
Spring Water vs. Purified Water: Which Tastes Better?
Taste is where most people decide. Spring water’s natural minerals give it a distinct flavor that some describe as fresh or slightly sweet, and others find a little earthy. Purified water tastes clean and neutral because nearly everything but the water has been removed. Some people call it “flat,” which is why many bottlers remineralize it slightly.
There’s no right answer; it’s personal preference. Purified water does have one practical advantage in the kitchen: it lets the flavor of coffee, tea, and soup come through without interference from minerals, and it won’t leave mineral spots on kettles and coffee makers.
Which Is Healthier: Spring Water or Purified Water?
For most healthy people, neither is meaningfully healthier than the other. Both spring and purified bottled water are regulated by the FDA as food products and must meet federal quality standards. The best water for your health is the one you’ll actually drink enough of every day.
Some points to keep in mind:
- Minerals: Spring water contains small amounts of minerals like calcium and magnesium, but most people get far more of these from food than from drinking water.
- Contaminant removal: Purification processes like reverse osmosis remove a broad range of dissolved contaminants, which is a reason many families choose purified water.
- Appliances and devices: For humidifiers, CPAP machines, steam irons, and similar devices, purified or distilled water is usually recommended because minerals in spring water can leave scale and residue. Always follow your device manufacturer’s instructions.
- Special diets: If you’ve been advised to watch your mineral or sodium intake, ask your doctor which type of water fits your needs.
The best water for your health is the one you’ll actually drink enough of every day.
Spring Water vs. Purified Water: Cost Comparison
Prices vary widely by brand, bottle size, and where you buy, but a few general patterns hold:
- Spring water is often priced higher because it has to be collected at a specific natural source and transported from there, and branding around the source adds to the price.
- Purified water can be produced closer to where it’s sold, since it can start from almost any clean water supply. That often keeps the price lower.
- Bottle size matters more than water type. Single-serve bottles cost far more per gallon than large-format jugs, so a home or office that drinks a lot of water usually saves by switching to bulk delivery or treating water at the tap.
If you want purified water without buying bottles at all, a reverse osmosis drinking water system purifies your tap water right at the kitchen sink, using the same core technology behind most purified bottled water.
What’s the Difference Between Spring Water and Bottled Water?
“Bottled water” is the broad category, and spring water is one type of it. Bottled water also includes purified water, mineral water, artesian water, and sparkling water, each with its own FDA labeling definition. So when you compare spring water vs. bottled water, the real question is usually spring water vs. one of the other types, most often purified.
What Kind of Water Does Culligan Deliver?
Many people searching “is Culligan water spring water?” are surprised by the answer: Culligan bottled water is mostly purified water. Culligan sources its water from springs and local municipal supplies, and the water typically goes through a series of treatments that includes reverse osmosis, plus ozone and UV treatment before it leaves the bottling facility. Some Culligan dealers lightly remineralize their water for taste.
Culligan Stoner offers spring water in select areas, so if you prefer spring water, contact us to find out whether it’s available where you live. Our bottled water delivery service brings sanitized five-gallon jugs to homes and offices on a flexible schedule you can pause or skip, along with hot and cold water coolers.
If you’d rather skip the jugs altogether, a bottle-free water cooler connects to your water line and filters water on demand, so there are no bottles to lift, store, or swap out. And if you want better water at every tap, not just for drinking, our whole home water filters treat water as it enters your house and can reduce your reliance on bottled water.
Spring Water vs. Purified Water FAQ
Is purified water better than spring water?
Not necessarily. Purified water is more consistent and lower in dissolved solids, while spring water keeps natural minerals that many people enjoy. Both are safe to drink, so choose the one whose taste you prefer and that fits how you use your water.
Is distilled water the same as purified water?
Distilled water is one type of purified water. All distilled water is purified, but not all purified water is distilled. Much of it is made with reverse osmosis instead.
Is Culligan water spring water?
Culligan bottled water is typically purified with reverse osmosis, though Culligan sources water from both springs and municipal supplies. Culligan Stoner offers spring water in select areas. Contact us to check availability.
Can I make purified water at home?
Yes. A home reverse osmosis system produces purified drinking water from your tap, and a water professional can test your water first to recommend the right setup.
