The Water Glossary explains common water, manufacturing, and sustainability terms in plain language. Definitions are intended for general educational purposes and may be simplified for readability.

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📚 Alkaline Water

Alkaline water has a pH greater than 7. It may occur naturally through contact with mineral-rich rock or be produced through treatment processes that raise its pH.

 

📚 Aquifer

An aquifer is a naturally occurring underground layer of rock, sand, or gravel that stores and transmits groundwater. Aquifers provide drinking water for millions of people and are replenished through rainfall and natural groundwater recharge.

 

📚 Artesian Water

Artesian water comes from a confined aquifer where natural underground pressure allows the water to rise without mechanical pumping at the source. To be labeled artesian in the United States, the water must meet specific regulatory requirements regarding its source.

 

📚 Bottled at the Source

"Bottled at the source" means water is packaged where it is collected, reducing transportation before bottling and helping preserve the characteristics of the source.

 

📚 BPA

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical once used in some plastics and resins. Today, many food and beverage containers, including PET water bottles, are manufactured without BPA.

 

📚 Confined Aquifer

A confined aquifer is an underground water-bearing formation trapped between layers of low-permeability rock or clay. These protective layers help shield groundwater from many surface contaminants.

 

📚 Distilled Water

Distilled water is produced by boiling water into steam and then condensing it back into liquid form. This process removes many minerals and dissolved substances.

 

📚 Electrolytes

Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electrical charge when dissolved in water, including sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

 

📚 FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottled water sold in interstate commerce by establishing standards for safety, quality, labeling, and manufacturing practices.

 

📚 Filtration

Filtration is the process of removing particles or contaminants from water using physical, chemical, or biological methods.

 

📚 Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) establish requirements for sanitation, quality control, employee training, equipment maintenance, and production procedures to help ensure products are manufactured safely and consistently.

 

📚 Groundwater

Groundwater is water that exists beneath the Earth's surface within soil, sand, gravel, and rock formations. It is one of the world's largest sources of fresh water.

 

📚 Groundwater Recharge

Groundwater recharge is the natural process where rain and surface water slowly move through layers of soil and rock to replenish underground aquifers.

 

📚 Injection Molding

Injection molding is a manufacturing process in which molten plastic is injected into a mold to create consistent plastic parts, including PET preforms.

 

📚 Limestone

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed primarily of calcium carbonate. Many aquifers are found within limestone formations because the rock naturally stores and transports groundwater.

 

📚 Mineral Water

Mineral water contains naturally occurring dissolved minerals and trace elements from its underground source. In many countries, the mineral composition must remain relatively consistent to qualify as mineral water.

 

📚 Natural Filtration

Natural filtration occurs when water slowly moves through layers of soil, sand, gravel, and rock, helping remove particles before reaching underground aquifers.

 

📚 Naturally Occurring Minerals

Naturally occurring minerals enter water as it moves through underground rock formations. These minerals contribute to the water's taste and overall mineral composition.

 

📚 Pallet

A pallet is a flat transport platform used to safely stack, store, and move large quantities of products with forklifts or pallet jacks.

 

📚 PET

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is a lightweight, durable plastic commonly used for beverage bottles because it is strong, recyclable, and approved for food-contact applications.

 

📚 PET Preform

A PET preform is the molded plastic piece that serves as the starting point for manufacturing a plastic bottle. It is heated and expanded into its final bottle shape through blow molding.

 

📚 pH

pH is a scale used to measure how acidic or alkaline a substance is. The scale ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 considered neutral, values below 7 acidic, and values above 7 alkaline

 

📚 Purified Water

Purified water has been treated through processes such as reverse osmosis, distillation, or deionization to remove impurities and meet specific purity standards.

 

📚 Reverse Osmosis (RO)

Reverse osmosis is a water purification process that forces water through a semipermeable membrane to remove dissolved solids, contaminants, and impurities.

 

📚 Shrink Wrap

Shrink wrap is a protective plastic film applied around cases or pallets during shipping to help stabilize products and reduce movement during transportation.

 

📚 Spring Water

Spring water originates from an underground source and naturally flows to the Earth's surface. It may be collected where it emerges naturally or through a borehole that taps into the same underground source.

 

📚 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) refers to the combined amount of dissolved minerals, salts, and other inorganic substances present in water. TDS is commonly measured in parts per million (ppm).

 

📚 Unconfined Aquifer

An unconfined aquifer has no protective layer above it, allowing rainwater to recharge it directly from the surface. Because of this, it is generally more susceptible to contamination than a confined aquifer.

 

📚 Vertically Integrated Manufacturing

Vertical integration occurs when a company controls multiple stages of its production process instead of relying entirely on outside suppliers.