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Here at Pacific Springs, we have quite a bit of history with spring water, having been in the business of delivering spring water for over 30 years!
But humans have been consuming spring water for much longer than that so we thought weโd go on a spring water journey to explore its ancient origins right up to the modern dayโฆ
Table of Contents
The History of Spring Water & Where It All Began
Spring water has long played an important role in ancient times with many believing in its healing properties and incorporating it into daily rituals such as bathing and drinking as well as for medicinal purposes and religious ceremonies.
Ancient civilizations, including the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and Chinese, all valued spring water for its purity, which was most likely discovered by observing animals seeking out and drinking from natural water sources. Although the exact time humans first began drinking spring water is unknown, archaeological findings and historical accounts indicate that the consumption of spring water has been a part of human civilization for millennia!
Over time, as societies developed, the importance of clean water sources led to the construction of wells, aqueducts, and other structures to access and distribute spring water.

The Flow of Spring Water Through Time
For thousands and thousands of years spring water has had cultural, commercial, and environmental significance – here’s a 7 step walk through its journey through time:
Step 1: Early Bottling And Selling In Spa Towns
Spring water bottling and selling dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries when spas in Europe became popular health and wellness destinations. People visited the spas to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of natural spring water and not only was bottled spring water sold at these locations but it was also shipped to those unable to physically visit the springs themselves.
Step 2: Urbanisation And The Demand For Clean Water
As towns and cities grew, the demand for clean drinking water also increased as the water in these areas was often polluted. Therefore bottled spring water became popular as a safe alternative to this potentially contaminated water and companies even began to set up bottling operations near natural springs to service this demand.
Step 3: Technology And The Wider Distribution of Spring Water
With technical advances came improvements in bottling packaging and transportation of spring water which helped with distributing bottled water further and wider afield. Whatโs more, improvements in filtration and purification processes made it possible to produce bottled spring water on a much larger scale than before.
Step 4: Marketing The Unique Benefits of Spring Water
As drinking water options expanded, so did the promotion of these various alternatives with spring water advertising focusing on its purity, composition and mineral content compared to bottled and tap water counterparts.
Step 5: The Importance of The Environment & Sustainability
As environmental awareness has grown, one of the big concerns associated with single-use plastic bottles is their lack of sustainability in manufacturing, transportation and (lack of ) recycling processes. Spring water – which comes in 15 litre reusable and recyclable bottles has therefore become known as a more environmentally-friendly choice.
Step 6: Introducing Spring Water Regulations And Standards
As the popularity of spring water has grown over recent decades, so too has the number of spring water companies supplying it. The industry here in Australia is tightly regulated to ensure the safety and quality of the spring water supplied. These standards apply to a range of areas including the source of the water itself, the filtration process and bottling operations to name a few.
Step 7: Modern Trends in Drinking Water
There has been an increase in demand for healthier, more sustainable drinking water as consumers seek to know not only that the water they are consuming is of the highest quality but also that the processes involved in its creation are as environmentally sustainable as possible.
Given its purity and the sustainability involved in its production versus its counterparts the demand for spring water has grown considerably in recent years.
Quality of water has also become increasingly important in recent years – for example the tap water we drink contains reduced levels of minerals due to most of these being filtered out in processing and chemicals such as chlorine, fluoride and aluminium are often added.
The Future of Spring Water at Pacific Springs
Back in 1995 Pacific Springs was established to provide the most refreshing spring water possible and well as providing good old fashioned services and these two goals remain true more than 3 decades later.
Although our specialty is spring water, we also provide a range of other services to keep you, your family and your workplace hydrated. Whether youโre looking for spring water, a water cooler, a filtration system or bubbler station – just get in touch as weโll be happy to help for the next 30 years and beyond!
Sources:
- https://aussiegold.net.au/environmental-benefits-of-bottled-spring-water
- https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/957621/sociocultural-dimensions-water-resources-management-rev3.pdf
- https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-ASEAN-Issue-32-33-Culture-and-Creativity-for-Sustainable-Development.pdf
- https://aim2flourish.com/innovations/use-water-reuse-water-save-water-land
- https://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/Naiades.htmlhttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bottled-spring-water-market-research-report-provides-thorough-zdaze/