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Two-thirds (65%) of Americans flat out admit they are \u201cpicky\u201d about the type of water they drink, according to new research.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s according to a survey of 2,000 U.S. adults which was conducted by Talker Research on behalf of\u00a0Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water<\/a>, and found that many have strong convictions about their water preferences.<\/p>\n Another 57% can tell what type of water they\u2019re drinking without knowing where it came from.<\/p>\n In fact, 39% of these respondents can identify if they\u2019re drinking from a bottle or the tap while taking the first sip. Another one in 10 (9%) say they just need to see the cup to be sure, while 13% can tell by smelling it.<\/p>\n And their preferences run deep, as 43% won\u2019t drink tap water from certain places. About one-third (35%) will go so far as to bring their own water with them whenever they leave the house.<\/p>\n Taking things a step further, 28% believe they can tell the difference between certain brands of bottled water and a similar number (27%) can taste the difference between filtered and spring water.<\/p>\n More than one-third (37%) of those polled would even sooner be thirsty than drink their least favorite type of water.<\/p>\n The vast majority of respondents prefer bottled water to tap (70% vs 13%) and spring water has the edge over filtered water (46% vs 38%).<\/p>\n More than half of those polled (54%) have a favorite brand of bottled water and 64% of these respondents even have a mental list of the best and worst bottled brands.<\/p>\n According to the results, the No. 1 reason respondents believe their favorite bottle is the best is because it\u2019s sourced naturally or from a spring (42%), even outranking things like cost (34%) and availability (33%).<\/p>\n Despite Americans\u2019 strong opinions, the survey unveiled several knowledge gaps, especially in terms of the composition and origin of spring water.<\/p>\n While 81% say they\u2019ve read the label on their favorite brand, only 33% are \u201cvery aware\u201d of where it\u2019s sourced from. Fewer (30%) are \u201cvery aware\u201d of the composition of their favorite bottled water.<\/p>\n Still, more than three in five of those polled (62%) say it\u2019s important to them to know where their water is sourced.<\/p>\n Another 63% would even go so far as to say they\u2019d be likely to change their favorite brand of bottled water if they were more aware of where it came from.<\/p>\n \u201cOur research shows that Americans care deeply about where their water comes from, not just how it tastes,\u201d said Anne\u2011Charlotte de La Porte, Vice President of Marketing at CG Roxane. \u201cIn fact, 61% of respondents correctly identified that natural spring water originates from underground aquifers and flows naturally to the earth\u2019s surface, which signals a growing awareness around sourcing and why transparency matters in the bottled water category.\u201d<\/p>\n One in five (20%) incorrectly believe that all bottled water is heavily treated, yet 45% are aware that one of the purposes for treating water is to remove harmful chemicals and one-third are familiar with the need to remove man-made contaminants.<\/p>\n Though many respondents favor certain brands due to their natural source, few respondents are familiar with traits associated with spring water.\u00a0 According to the results, only 27% are aware that spring water is not heavily purified or treated.<\/p>\n Fewer (25%) know that spring water contains natural electrolytes or that it\u2019s easy to monitor and maintain quality controls (16%).<\/p>\n \u201cSpring water comes directly from nature, which means it doesn\u2019t require heavy treatment or filtration,\u201d de La Porte added. \u201cBecause it\u2019s collected as it naturally flows to the surface, it retains naturally occurring minerals that contribute to its character. Helping consumers better understand what spring water is \u2014 and what it isn\u2019t \u2014 is an important part of building trust.\u201d<\/p>\n Research methodology:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Talker Research surveyed 2,000 general population Americans who have access to the internet;<\/strong>\u00a0the survey was commissioned by\u00a0CG Roxane<\/strong>\u00a0and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between\u00a0March 19 to March 23, 2026.<\/strong>\u00a0A link to the questionnaire can be found\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n To view the complete methodology as part of AAPOR\u2019s Transparency Initiative, please visit the Talker Research\u00a0Process and Methodology page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nChoosing Thirst Over Subpar Water Quality<\/b><\/h2>\n
Retaining Natural Character Through Minimal Processing<\/b><\/h2>\n