We are asked quite often why our water is so expensive.

That is quite an easy answer actually. It is so expensive because we invested millions of dollars in a true natural free-flowing spring water source and the 100+ acres of land that surround it. We bought a REAL spring, with an unprecedented and unmatched history in North America, with a rich history dating back to 1792; the actual beginning of the areas’ recorded history. Summit Spring actually pre-dates the town itself- Harrison, Maine. It was incorporated later in 1805! Summit Spring exists today almost exactly as it did 200+ years ago. We still gather our spring water right as it exits the ground and then we gravity feed it directly into the bottling plant 50′ away. Because of the unique situation where the source is a “high altitude” location, and the bottling plant is built in the footprint of the old barreling building, we are able to gravity feed our spring water directly to the plant which sits 17’ below the level of the source-just as they did in the 1800’s when the filled 35 gallon wooden spruce barrels the same way. (only we use stainless steel pipes today instead of iron pipes to further protect the water)

You see, we have a REAL spring, which flows phenomenally pure real natural spring water. Not the borehole (well) water that all of our competitors sell. It is much easier and far cheaper to just drill a well into the ground, call it spring water because the government doesn’t mind so much when the public gets snookered. Truth in labeling in this case is merely what best suits the large international bottling empires, not the buying public. The strict definition of “spring water” existed for decades-at least until the major corporations convinced the FDA to change it in 1999. I’ll show you the old and the new-you can make up your own mind about the truth.

FDA Regulations

Title 21-Food and Drugs

Part 165-Beverages

Subpart 165.110- Bottled Water

(i) ARTESIAN WATER: The name of water from a well tapping a confined aquifer in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer is “artesian water” or “artesian well water.” Artesian water may be collected with the assistance of external force to enhance the natural underground pressure. On request, plants shall demonstrate to appropriate regulatory officials that the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer.

(vi) [AGE OLD Definition] SPRING WATER: The name of water derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth.

[ADDED Language in 1999]: Spring water shall be collected only at the spring or through a bore hole tapping the underground formation feeding the spring. There shall be a natural force causing the water to flow to the surface through a natural orifice. The location of the spring shall be identified. Spring water collected with the use of an external force shall be from the same underground stratum as the spring, as shown by a measurable hydraulic connection using a hydrogeologically valid method between the bore hole and the natural spring, and shall have all the physical properties, before treatment, and be of the same composition and quality, as the water that flows naturally to the surface of the earth. If spring water is collected with the use of an external force, water must continue to flow naturally to the surface of the earth through the spring’s natural orifice. Plants shall demonstrate, on request, to appropriate regulatory officials, using a hydrogeologically valid method, that an appropriate hydraulic connection exists between the natural orifice of the spring and the bore hole.

(viii) [UN-CHANGED Language] WELL WATER: The name of water from a hole bored, drilled, or otherwise constructed in the ground which taps the water of an aquifer.

Pay VERY close attention to the definition of WELL WATER: …the name of water from a hole bored (bore-hole)… Mmmmm…Seems obvious enough.

Quite frankly, and of great benefit to our competitors, water is a colorless, odorless and for the most part tasteless product. They all kind of look the same; and if you cool it down enough (which of course masks any problems) they all kind of taste similar. It is very hard for a water to stand out against a different water on taste alone- although many would argue Summit Spring does. Drinking samples of water at room temperature are a much better way to compare and much better for your body anyway.  Problem is, the most detrimental things in water-pharmaceuticals, fluoride, chlorine, chloramines, disinfection byproducts, anti-corrosives, lye, bacteria, e-coli, waterborne parasites, arsenic, radioactive isotopes, chemicals and the like; along with a host of other contaminants-have no real taste, and are not detectible on the palette. So how do you know?

You know by doing some research. You have to spend a little time and research the sources. Research the companies.

We have a trademark saying: “You should know where your water comes from”® and we mean it. It’s important. It is why we invested so much in our source. Why is it that no other company other than Summit Spring will show you an actual video picture of our source water bubbling straight from the ground? Doesn’t that seem odd to you? You can search the entire world on the World Wide Web and not find another company like ours. Sure, they will show you pretty pictures of buildings and sometimes some old photos of historic merit; but why no pictures of the sources? That is, of course the most important and compelling thing, right? We should be able to see those amazing natural springs, still bubbling away as they have for all of recorded history right? Wrong. The sources either don’t exist, or they have been exploited and destroyed-they don’t flow like they used to anymore. Why? Because when you drill a borehole (a well) and you start pumping water out of the ground at a rate that exceeds the natural flow of the spring- the spring will stop flowing. You are artificially lowering the aquifer, damaging the source and essentially raping and pillaging one of nature’s most precious gifts. Why? Because the big companies would rather suck more water out of the ground to sell more cheap water than to worry about the sanctity of a precious source. Short term gain without regard to the consequences down the road. It’s quicker, cheaper and more profitable and heck, if they destroy the source, they can just move on and drill a new well somewhere else. (which has happened more times in the past than you want to know about-trust me)

It costs more to do things the right way, like we do. Capturing ONLY the natural overflow of the source, without the use of any pumps or boreholes or wells. Bottling pure source water because if we don’t, the excess water that flows down the hill below the bottling plant is ruined anyway. Why? Because the second natural spring water touches the surface of the Earth, it is contaminated. Unfortunately the earth is covered with all kinds of natural and man-made pollutants. The second that “ground water” becomes “surface water” it is no longer able to be drunk without treatment. This is exactly why we built our bottling plant as we did and why we bottle immediately after the waters exit from the source. Summit Spring is the only company that does that anywhere that we know of, and believe me, we have searched. We believe ourselves to be unique. Capturing Real Natural Spring Water, from a free-flowing spring, gravity feeding DIRECTLY into the bottle without ANY filtration or treatment whatsoever-That is our RAW WATER, and that product is unique, period.

Don’t believe me? Don’t take my word for it- search for another. Check with the State of Maine Drinking Water Program and the Maine Department of Agriculture. Summit Spring is still the only bottled water company in Maine’s history to receive the unprecedented permission to bottle water straight from the ground and sell it to the public without any treatment or filtration. Sound rather astonishing? It is, and I have the greatest respect for the investigators and directors of those state agencies for having the gravitas to allow such a wonderful, healthy product to be sold. It would have been much easier for them to “just say no”. They know about the history of Summit Spring and they are proud of it as well. Maine is truly a unique and great state, and that is but one of the reasons. Maine is also a state that allows Raw Milk to be sold-another truly great and healthy product. There is a reason we were also awarded the State of Maine Premium Grade Designation for Bottled Water; one of only 2 companies to be bestowed that honor in over 20 years! Are you still wondering if there is a difference between bottled water companies?

It is clear you have a choice. You can spend a little extra money and get a great product with real value that will directly affect your health and wellness, or you can save some money and pay way too much for well water- your choice. I chose to operate my company with integrity and to bring to the market a superior product revered for centuries, and to do it exactly as they did in the past.  I refused to do things the way everybody else does. I refuse to capitulate or compromise. I am not going to destroy a sacred historic source to lower my costs to make the product cheaper to buy. I am not going to do it. Ever. I will let the company fail first. At least the source will hopefully stay intact for the next water steward to try and make a go of it. I am the 5^th steward to own Summit Spring in its 200+ year history. Every other owner has failed to make it a success. In large part because people were not willing to support the efforts of the previous owners to protect the source and pay a little extra for a great product. Thank God at least it has never been destroyed or changed.

I am grateful to my customers that have stayed true to us and supported our efforts to save the spring and I am indifferent to those that have left for cheaper water from my competitors. They are only hurting themselves. Many of them come back when they realize the difference anyway. It doesn’t hurt me one bit when they consume lousy water- It’s only 90% of your blood- how important could that be, really?

Are you kidding me? NOTHING is more important (other than the air we breathe) to your health and well being than the water we drink. You are literally building and replenishing your bloodstream EVERY DAY with water.

“You should know where you water comes from”®            Believe me, you should.

Alice G. Walton

Check out this latest article in Forbes Magazine about drink choices other than water:

http://shar.es/ojxmJ

After the better part of a century fighting disease and untold billions of dollars spent on research, we find ourselves at a critical juncture. The primary emphasis has been on treating symptoms with pharmacology and easing patients suffering after they get sick.

It is apparent that a more proactive prophylactic approach to wellness is sorely needed. Health and Wellness, a topic heretofore lacking in prominence, is starting to take center stage; and rightly so.

The Primary Tenants to that end in order of importance:
#1 AIR                  #2 WATER                      #3 FOOD                       # 4 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
We will leave numbers 1, 3, & 4 to the respective experts in those fields and concentrate on the second most important element to good health, Water.

We often wonder what the common denominator might be in our society that leads to these health problems, and water is certainly in that category. 90% of our population derives their drinking water from municipal sources and 98% of those treatment facilities use chlorine as the key water disinfectant, primarily because of its lower cost and the ability to maintain a chemical residual in the water for weeks on end. Showering in heated, chlorinated water elevates the levels of transdermal absorption and inhalation of chlorine gas to even higher levels of exposure. We are basically washing the inside and the outside of our bodies every day, for a lifetime, with a chemical cocktail containing the likes of Chlorine, Fluoride, Chloramines, (DBP) Disinfection Byproducts, (THM) Trihalomethanes,  Anti-corrosives, Lye, Pharmaceutical drugs and a host of other man-made and natural contaminants from poor source water. The human blood supply is 90% water and common sense would dictate that building one’s own out of such a chemical mixture must have deleterious effects.

We propose a far superior solution. Free-flowing Natural Maine Spring Water captured and gravity fed into the bottle, only at the source from one of the oldest springs in North America. Awarded the first ever regulatory approval in Maine-and we believe the United States-to bottle spring water straight from the ground without any treatment or filtration whatsoever. A product so unique, it is without peer; Summit Spring Water. This water has been protected underground for millennia and is the purest natural product that humans will come into contact with, in their lifetimes. We constantly receive testimonials from customers that speak of a complete sensation of symptoms to asthma, eating disorders, digestion problems and the like; we believe because of hypersensitivity to the chemicals contained in tap water and products made from it. There is obviously much research to be done on water, but water devoid of any trace of Man’s existence on Earth has got to be better for you; in the same vein as organic foods and natural products that receive as little treatment and exposure as possible to our increasingly polluted world.

We are searching for cutting edge health professionals that want to be on the forefront of an emerging, increasingly intelligent demographic that realize the importance of healthy eating and drinking habits. As Summit Spring is a truly limited resource, we anticipate a restricted clientele list no greater than 150,000 people out of a nationwide population approaching 300,000,000. These will be the most selective and affluent families well versed in their journey toward great health and longevity. People are quickly becoming disillusioned with the “standard fare” offered for consumption, increasingly devoid of nutritional value and even sliding towards that which causes harm.

We want to join with those health professionals to provide to their patients a superior product far different from the myriad of charlatans out there that range from bogus marketing claims to outright deceit. Pure, natural spring water without the sugar, artificial sweeteners, colors and flavors, caffeine, preservatives, etc., that do nothing more than lower the hydrating capability of water.

Summit Spring Water will be shipped directly from the source here in Maine to your client, essentially making you distributors without ever having to touch the product. Sophisticated affiliate software in our updated website will track the origin of the inquiry and appropriate credit will be given in addition to those specific named lists provided in advance. Ultimately water is a product that needs to be consumed many times a day, every day-not a fad or a random impulse product purchased infrequently.

This adds up to a win-win situation for all involved. Summit Spring has a historic reputation as a healing tonic and the credibility of providing a product that has been touted for its healing properties since the 1800′s. “To Drink of God’s only beverage for Man or Beast at Summit Spring, that Fountain of Life, that will renew the Youth of the Old, if ever such a place was Created” 1905 Centennial Celebration of Harrison…

It was true 150 years ago, and it remains so today. “One of the Most Remarkable springs ever discovered in New England”.

We look forward to working with you in that quest. Thriving in an increasingly hostile landscape.

Be well.
N. Bryan Pullen
President

Summit Spring Water, Inc
Harrison, Maine, U.S.A.

Stay tuned and feel free to join in the conversation - Bryan

Bryan Pullen, President of Summit Spring Water in Maine, has developed 5 tips to keep in mind regarding healthy drinking water.

Bryan offers these easy-to-follow guidelines for the best types of bottled water to drink:

1) It must say “Natural Spring Water” – these three words are regulated by law.

2) If the bottle has as nutrition facts label, it is not pure – it has been doctored by chemicals and treatments. Real spring water should have no label.

3) If the label says that it comes from more than one source, it is not as pure as it can be (i.e. Source: Summit Spring, Harrison ME, vs. Poland Spring, 7-8 sources). The purest water comes from one source.

4) Choose a low TDS water (total dissolved solids-a measure of total mineral content), preferably less than 100 ppm or mg/L. Low mineral content water is much easier to digest and will not upset a persons stomach even during or after vigorous exercise. It will probably be necessary to visit websites to obtain this information and to research the chemical analysis.

5) Look for a natural spring water sourced from a “free-flowing” spring, gathered-not extracted thru a bore-hole with pumps.

Keep these tips in mind next time you are purchasing bottled water.

HARRISON, Maine–Summit Spring released RAW WATER, a spring water bottled directly from the source without any filtration, treatment, pumps or boreholes used in the process. Summit Spring gathers its water from one of the oldest natural free-flowing springs in North America. RAW WATER is nutrient rich; “living” spring water with essential minerals. The glass bottle is placed into a recycled-content brown paper bag lined with wax, to protect it from sunlight’s corruption and spoiling. Summit Spring Water is one of a few bottled waters to carry the State of Maine Premium Grade designation, meeting stringent quality and testing guidelines developed by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.

By Chuck Fager | July 2009

A crusade against bottled water has become something of a standard feature of environmental activism among Friends. I discovered this a couple years ago when some self-appointed eco-elders came after me for having given away several cases of bottled water with distinctive labels.

Good heavens, I wondered as their ire crashed down—what had I done? To listen to the indictment, giving away bottled water at a Quaker event was a mark of moral turpitude that fell somewhere between recruiting torturers for Guantanamo and handing out heroin to preschoolers.

Well, call me clueless and provincial, but this notion came out of the blue. In its wake, I figured it would be a good idea to find out what all the shouting was about, so I did some reading and digging.

Much of the anti-bottled water (or BW) propaganda can be traced back to an outfit in Ottawa, Canada, called the Polaris Institute <http://www.insidethebottle.org/>. On the other side, the defenders of BW seem centered in the International Bottled Water Association, a trade group in Alexandria, Virginia <http://www.bottledwater.org/>.

After considerable study, I came to two conclusions on this topic. First, that water problems, in the U.S. and the world are very real and very serious. And second, the anti-BW crusade is a mistaken, misleading, and misguided way to tackle these issues.

Indeed, the more I studied, the more clear it seemed that BW was not at all the plague upon humanity its attackers claim it to be. Quite the contrary; at the end of the day, I believe we’re very lucky to have it around. Why? Below are my Top Ten Reasons (plus three), a description of which will also suggest much of why I regard the anti-BW jihad as unsound. Here we go:

1. Safety—a major anti-BW complaint is not about water, but about the plastic containers most of it comes in. And to be sure, there are drawbacks to plastic. Yet, consider the alternatives. No, not the ten-dollar or more stainless steel mini-jugs that are fashionable in some quarters; their appeal is strictly limited. Glass containers are the primary alternative containers in the marketplace, and they were what plastic supplanted.

Glass containers are pretty benign in recycling terms. But en route to the recycling center, they have a real downside: their broken remnants are the cause of thousands of serious injuries each year, especially in poorer neighborhoods. This was the main reason they were largely replaced by plastic in the first place. The switch was made initially by moms, because kids could carry the bottles safely. Beware of trying to take this away from them. (A 1998 study in distressed Philadelphia neighborhoods showed that broken glass injuries from bottles incurred in public spaces, especially by children, were still quite common. See <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9666372>.)

A sidewalk bottled water display outside an organic market. This display suggests that the anti-BW campaign is longer on rhetoric than actual market impact.

Chuck Fager

2. Bottled water is an absolutely critical lifesaver in many natural disasters. Check the lists of emergency supplies put out by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.ⁱ

Look at the pictures of the Hurricane Katrina aftermath and other calamities. In almost all such events, public water systems are made unusable almost immediately, sometimes for a long time. Then it’s BW or death by thirst or toxic poisoning. I would hope Friends think long and hard before joining efforts to make this resource more scarce.

3. Bottled water is not a significant contributor to actual water problems. This is a very important point, so before going any further let me repeat that water problems are very real in the world, and in the U.S. But all the BW in the U.S. accounts for less than one hundredth of one percent of water consumption.ⁱⁱ If it all disappeared tomorrow, this would have no measurable effect on the very real water problems the U.S. faces (ditto the world).

4. Bottled water has a substantial shelf life. This is especially valuable for emergency preparedness, but also for many other purposes.

5. The anti-BW indictment paints the product as an intolerable luxury, pointing out that its price can be several dollars per gallon. But of course, one typically does not buy BW by the gallon, but by the pint. And in such serving sizes, BW is in fact within the economic reach of virtually all people in the United States. That’s why one finds it in the coolers of the humblest slum convenience stores, as well as the most elegant spas and food courts. Yet, paradoxically, costly as it is compared with tap water, BW is also the most realistically priced water in public use. Let me say that again: it is the most realistically priced form of water. That’s because if there’s one thing that’s just about beyond dispute regarding the real water issues, it is that solving them will mean that water is going to cost us more, probably a lot more. Buying BW can be useful in preparing us for that eventuality.ⁱⁱⁱ

6. Bottled water is an excellent advertising medium—it conveys a sense of wholesomeness, which is well-deserved, and it is very serviceable for positive brand imaging. Using it as such, which I did, is not a crime. (I cite my own experience here, as well as that of thousands of other advertisers who use bottled water.)

7. The fact that only about one-fifth of plastic BW bottles are currently recycled is perhaps the most substantive item in the case against it, along with the fact that this plastic is made from petroleum. Surely, efforts at recycling need to increase, and oil consumption needs to decrease. Fortunately, there is light at the end of the tunnel: compostable water bottles made from plant products, without petroleum, are already coming onto the market,^iv and BW in these containers is on sale in some areas. I predict it will soon be widely available in retail markets, providing a much more environmentally friendly option.

8. Bottled water is a nearly ideal consumer product: it is healthy, non-addictive, hypoallergenic, caffeine-free, calorie free, and contains no artificial colors, flavors, trans fats, etc., etc.

A truckload of bottled water enroute to New Orleans after Katrina, donated by Wal-Mart.

National Private Truck Council

9. Likewise, bottled water is neither militarist, sexist, racist, nor homophobic. Almost all classes and kinds of people use it.

These data suggest a quick quiz:

Which product would you rather have a child in your care consume several servings of each day?

• Caffeinated soda
• Sweetened juice drinks
• Beer
• Bottled water

To anyone who picked the last alternative, here is another question: why support a campaign to demonize the healthiest of these products? In our consumer society, young people have numerous options for refreshment. Even once we have all simplified our lives in good Quaker fashion, it’s hard to imagine sugary, colored drinks, beer, or water, disappearing from the retail scene. (Drinking bubbly water is a custom that’s millennia old; “soda” has been around for more than 200 years; and lemonade 350.) Is it wise or even prudent to help stigmatize what would be by far the most wholesome choice among them?

10. Bottled water has a better safety record than tap water. If you doubt this, Google “public water contamination” and “bottled water recalls,” and compare the hits. Public water problems outscore BW problems by orders of magnitude, and have caused more than a few fatalities.

This is not an abstract issue for me. Where I live, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, public water safety issues have been an ongoing scandal;^v there are citizens here being supplied bottled water by the state because authorities are unable to deliver safe water through the tap. And not far away, on and around the large Marine base at Camp Lejeune, N.C., the public water system was poisoned for decades by dry-cleaning toxins, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. And have you read the shocking story about dangerous levels of lead in the public water system in Washington, D.C., a scandal covered up by local officials for years? (<http://www.tftptf.com>) These are but a few of many cases. When it comes to public water contamination, denial is more than a river in Egypt.

This disparity in safety does not mean I want everyone to drink BW and abandon public water systems. Not at all; public water needs to be made as safe as possible, and BW is not the only alternative. But when the crusaders scorn bottled water because “tap water is safe,” they are repeating a talking point that does not withstand close scrutiny.

And here are the bonus reasons:

11. When there is a safety concern, bottled water is easier to identify for recall. An upside of the packaging that troubles some people also makes it easy to find and pull shipments that have issues.

12. Bottled water is fully portable, and thus versatile.

13. Bottled water is highly convenient for our complex and rushed lifestyles; and this convenience is not a crime or even a sin. Neither is it an offense against Quaker fundamentals; convenience can contribute to simplicity.

So that’s my list of reasons for finding bottled water “not guilty” of being an environmental or social blight. BW does not deserve to be banished from Quaker circles as a sign of spiritual, moral, and ecological depravity; nor are its users heedlessly ruining the planet.

I am not clear how or why the anti-bottled water crusaders selected BW as the symbol for water problems; my guess is that its high visibility was a key factor. But that is a marketing ploy, not a representation of truth about water issues and their solutions. As noted in #3, if bottled water disappeared, the real water problems would remain unaffected.

Perhaps the environmental movement needs a symbol to demonize for public education about water issues. If so, my preference would be a product which, if people did stop using it, the change would truly and positively impact water issues. To this end, I have two concrete suggestions for a new symbol/icon, and they are:

The cheeseburger—an alternative negative icon

1. The cheeseburger. Anti-BW arguments point out that it takes about three liters of water to produce one liter of bottled water. Okay, fair enough. Yet by contrast, it takes about 1,500 gallons of water to produce a single cheeseburger. That’s a ratio of about 2,000 to 1, burger for bottle. Moreover, in most of the world, 60 to 70 percent of total water consumption goes to crop irrigation, mainly to feed animals that are eaten, particularly cattle and hogs.^vi So if one wanted to make a serious dent in actual water issues—a very desirable goal—crusading against cheeseburgers would point the propaganda guns at a real target instead of a bogus one.

The other suggested symbol is:

2. Las Vegas. (Or Phoenix; take your pick.) Talk about foolish luxuries—the U.S. cities that are built in deserts are unsustainable, enormous water and human disasters waiting to happen, indeed already starting to happen. (And keep in mind, when these disasters become full-blown catastrophes, bottled water in mass quantities will be a crucial survival item for the victims. See <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a_b86mnWn9.w&refer=home>).

I hope Friends will consider these points before continuing to ride the bandwagon to nowhere represented by the anti-bottled water propaganda campaign. Water issues are too real and important to be thus diverted and trivialized.

For reference: There is a growing bibliography on water issues. The one piece I’ll mention here is a fine article, “The Last Drop,” from The New Yorker, which is online at <http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/10/23/061023fa_fact1>.

And a postscript is as necessary here as it is regrettable: I am not employed by a bottled water company; I have never been employed by a water company; I do not seek to be employed by a bottled water company. To my knowledge no bottled water producers have made grants or donations to my employer, and we are not seeking same.

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Chuck Fager is director of Quaker House in Fayetteville, N.C. The views expressed here are his own.