Given the large selection of waters available to us, from tap water to bottled water, it is difficult to decide what type of water to buy for our family.

First thing to do is to find non-fluoridated water. While many people still believe that fluoride helps prevent cavities, there is emerging evidence that this toxic compound can damage our health.

Different Types of Water

Strictly speaking, water is water. The difference however between the various types of tap and bottled waters is the source and the processing that it undergoes before being sold to the consumer. To start, here is a quick overview of the most common types:

Tap Water: municipal water that has been treated, processed and disinfected. In the UAE, it is all desalinated sea water.
Well Water comes from a hole drilled into the ground that taps into an underground water source. A pump then brings it up to the surface.
Natural Spring Water is found underground and flows up from a natural spring and is directly bottled at the source.
Artesian or Spring Water comes from a natural source but the bottling is done off-site and undergoes processing and purification.
Mineral Water can come from either natural spring or artesian water and must contain a minimum level of dissolved solids, including minerals and trace elements.

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