The geological definition of a spring is a place where water appears at the Earth's surface on its own. Springs are caused by rain water [A] seeping into the ground [B] and collecting in fractures and fissures in the bedrock, creating underground "holding tanks" called aquifers [C]. As the water passes through the fine particulate matter (sand, clay and other minerals) it is naturally filtered and purified. A spring occurs where a fissure in the bedrock breaks the surface at a point lower than the waterline of the highest point in the aquifer. The naturally higher water pressure forces the purified water up through the ground where it collects in pools or runs downhill.

One of the things that makes Summit Spring so unique is the fact that it's located near the summit of the highest point in Cumberland County, Maine, nearly 350' higher than the surrounding terrain. As far as anyone can tell, this means that the origin must be a very long distance away, where the terrain is higher. The most logical explanation is that the water source originates in the White Mountains of New Hampshire some forty miles away. The fact that Summit Spring Water travels so far, deep beneath some of the most pristine forest in North America may explain why our water is so uncommonly pure, just as it bubbles from the ground.

A borehole is a drilled shaft [A]—often three feet in diameter or more—through which water is pumped from underground aquifers. Several years ago, due to succesful lobbying by large international bottled water conglomerates, the Food and Drug Administration broadened the legally accepted definition of "Spring Water" to include water that is pumped from boreholes, so long as the borehole is located near a place where water naturally flowed from the ground before the borehole was dug. The negative impact of boreholes is caused by the emmense suction created, which can draw sediment and contaminants from the surrounding ground [B] into the aquifer. in some cases the quality of entire aquifers has been irreversibly compromised.