Water Analysis
*(Mg/l=milligrams per liter)
*(PP/l=pints per liter)
Bicarbonates: 320 PPM
Calcium Ion: 150 PPM
Fluoride: 0.12 PPM
Magnesium: 4.2 PPM
Potassium: 1.2 PPM
Sulfates: 43 PPM
Sodium: 11 PPM
Total Dissolved Solids: 460 Mg/l *(except TDS which are parts per million)
Other Principal Components: Nitrate ND PPM
Company History:
The geological source for Perrier® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water dates back over 100 million years, but man was probably first introduced to it during the Roman Empire. Legend has it that in 218 B.C., Hannibal and his army paused at the spring to refresh after defeating the Romans.
In 1793, the mayor of Vergeze, France where the Source is located, recognized its exceptional qualities. In 1863, Napoleon III allowed the Source to be developed. In 1903, Sir St.-John Harmsworth, a member of the English aristocracy, invested in the property and renamed the spring from Les Bouillens to Source Perrier, named after the dedicated physician who brought it to his attention: Dr. Perrier. The precious waters have come to be captured in distinctive green bottles, shaped after wooden clubs. Having suffered from a leg injury, Sir St. John Harmsworth maintained his body by exercising with smooth wooden clubs. It was their comfortable shape that inspired the design of the Perrier® bottle we know today. Under the management of Dr. Perrier and Sir St. John Harmsworth, Perrier's famous green bottle became popular throughout Europe and was the first sparkling natural mineral water bottled in the U.S. Perrier became an intrinsic part of an active, healthy American lifestyle in the late 1970s. The Perrier Group of America started the tidal wave of popularity for mineral water in the United States. Perrier was the first imported sparkling natural mineral water brand to be sold in supermarkets and quickly became a staple in homes and restaurants across the country. Social drinkers started ordering Perrier instead of a cocktail or soft drink. The brand's popularity grew as a refreshing, all-natural, alternative beverage.
Perrier continues to be bottled at the original source in Vergeze. In April 1985, Perrier with A Twist of natural lemon or lime flavor was introduced in the U.S. These well-liked flavor varieties helped revolutionize natural beverage refreshment.
Today, Perrier® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water is the best-selling imported sparkling mineral water in the U.S., and is enjoyed in more than 140 countries around the world. It is enjoyed as an aperitif or the perfect non-alcoholic social beverage.
Sources
Source Perrier has been the subject of careful study by a generation of scientists. Experts trace it back more than 130 million years to the Cretaceous Era, when limestone deposits formed faults and fissures which captured water deep within the earth.
Today, as it has for millenniums, fresh rain falling on the plains and hillsides of Southern France seeps into the limestone, sand and gravel deposits below the Earth's surface. Moving through this sub-strata, the water is naturally filtered as it acquires the minerals which gives Perrier its character and good taste.
Terrestrial Filtration
Traveling through these layers of porous limestone, cracked marl (a hard, clay-like deposit rich in calcium carbonate) and pure white sand (which sustains the water's clarity), the water collects at the source near Vergeze.
Nature provides added protection with an eight- to 15-foot layer of impermeable clay which surrounds the source for over a mile in all directions, guarding the spring from surface contaminants.
Unique Carbonation
One of Perrier® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water's most distinguishing attributes has always been its carbonation. This begins as volcanic magma (molten rock), trapped within the geologic strata.
This magma superheats and groundwater beneath the Perrier spring that permeates the calcium carbonate layers, forms carbonation gas. This carbonated gas rises to mingle and carbonate the mineral water. Up through the last century, in fact, they formed a cool, bubbling pool ("Les Bouillens") in which locals and health-seekers often bathed.
A desire for consistency, plus Perrier's growing public demands as a international beverage, led French scientists to devise a more efficient means to capture the water's perfect balance of minerals and carbonation and maintain consistency. By the end of the 19th century, the water and gas were collected separately and combined at the bottling plant under conditions likened to those once found within the source.
This procedure has been modernized since then, of course. Both the water and carbonic gas are still harvested independently. They come from isolated points at different depths, within the same geologic formation. Before they come together for bottling, a filter is used to remove any natural impurities in the gas.
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