Hydrodynamics Group - Articles on Spring Development

As seen in Water Conditioning and Purification Magazine--July 1999

BOTTLED WATER:

Feds Release New Guidelines
On "Spring" Water

BY: John D. Bredehoeft, Ph.D., N.A.E.
Michael J. King, R.G., C.E.G., C.H.G.

Summary: New U.S. Food and Drug Administration spring regulations as defined in the Federal Register¹ focus on both defining spring water and regulating the use of boreholes to collect it. This is a summary of requirements for evaluating FDA spring water source compliance.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posed a challenge for the spring bottled water industry by promulgating new regulations that cover spring water sources (see Figure 1). Codified in the Code of Federal Regulations(CRFs),these new rules are the result of comments from a recent FDA survey indicating consumers perceive spring water as a higher quality and better tasting water than any other source of bottled water. The survey also indicated consumers are concerned that some bottled spring waters are mislabeled because of the collection method of the water. In response, the FDA revised its regulations to assure the public that if the labeling on the bottle said the source of the water was a spring, than the product is indeed spring water.

Developments of Springs

Springs are defined as natural sources of ground water emerging from the earth at a defined orifice. Focuses of the new regulations are on three requirements: that a natural spring exists; that the spring has flowed for a long period of time; and the spring is not under

the influence of surface water. Of importance is to be able to physically walk up to a spring and observe water discharging to the earth's surface from a natural opening fits own volition.

There are several types of spring developments. The traditional method is the construction of a spring collection box at the orifice, called a springhouse, a common sight on many farms throughout the world. The second method is the collection gallery, often

referred to as a "French drain." The third is the use of boreholes to produce spring water. FDA compliance of a direct spring source requires documentation fo the spring, including historical flows and water quality data indicating a ground water source for the water, with no influence from surface water.

FDA compliance of boreholes for spring developments also includes a demonstration of the need for a hydraulic connection between the (cont)

WHAT ARE THE FDA NEW SPRING REGULATIONS?

Manufacturers must demonstrate that the spring flows naturally to the surface through a well-defined orifice.
A spring is expected to continue to flow naturally to the surface for the water to qualify as spring water. Thus, any cessation in the flow of the spring from the natural orifice must be for a limited period. The FDA suggests that 90 days is an appropriate time limit for seasonal cessation of flow. This is not a hard and fast rule; the FDA will consider each situation on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration droughts, etc.
Where bore-holes are used to collect water, the Bottler must demonstrate that there is a measurable hydraulic connection between the bore-hole and the spring.
The spring must continue to flow naturally through its orifice when external force is applied to a bore-hole in the collection of spring water.
FDA requires that a spring not be under the direct influence of surface water. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defined ground water under the direct influence of surface water as water beneath the surface of the ground with either (1) significant occurrence of insects or other macro-organisms, algae, or large diameter pathogens; or (2) significant and relatively rapid shifts in water characteristics such as turbidity, temperature, conductivity, or pH which correlates closely with precipitation or surface water run-off.

Source: Federal Register

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