Artesian water is groundwater drawn from a confined aquifer, a water-bearing layer of rock sandwiched between impermeable layers, where the water sits under enough natural pressure to rise above the top of the aquifer on its own when a well taps it. Under U.S. FDA rules (21 CFR 165.110) that pressure is the whole definition: artesian is about where the water comes from and how it gets out, not about its mineral content or any treatment. The practical difference for a kitchen or a dining room shows up in total dissolved solids (TDS), which is what decides whether a water tastes soft and neutral next to food or heavy and mineral on its own.
I cook for a living and have poured a lot of water at a lot of tables. This guide explains the geology, the four FDA categories most people confuse, usable TDS ranges, and where Antipodes, the artesian water we stock and deliver through our Premium Water Delivery program for the South Shore and Boston, sits on that spectrum.
Rain and snowmelt soak into the ground and move down through porous rock or gravel until they hit a layer they cannot easily pass, typically clay, shale, or dense volcanic rock. When a porous layer is trapped between two impermeable layers, the water inside is confined. The U.S. Geological Survey puts it simply: confined aquifers have layers of solid material above and below them and are under pressure from the weight of the rock.
The recharge zone, where water enters, is usually higher than the point where a well is drilled, and water in a sealed system pushes back toward the level of its source. So when a well punches through the upper confining layer, the water rises above the top of the aquifer, and if the pressure is high enough it flows out at ground level with no pump. Antipodes describes its water as arriving at the surface under natural pressure from 327 metres down, which is exactly this mechanism.
Two things follow from confinement: the water has been sealed off from surface runoff for a long time, so it is old and stable in composition, and it has spent that time in contact with one rock type, which sets the mineral profile rather than any bottler.
Bottled water in the U.S. is a standardized food under 21 CFR 165.110, which means the names on the label are legally defined. Here is what each one means, in the regulation's own terms.
"Water from a well tapping a confined aquifer in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer." Pressure is the defining trait. Nothing in the definition sets a mineral level, so artesian waters range from very low to moderately high TDS depending on the rock.
"Water derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth." Spring water can be collected at the spring itself or through a borehole next to it, but the borehole water must match the spring's composition. The distinction from artesian is subtle: a spring is water that reaches the surface by itself through a natural opening, while an artesian well is a drilled opening into a pressurized aquifer. A flowing artesian well can technically be called an artesian spring, but a spring is not necessarily artesian.
"Water containing not less than 250 parts per million (ppm) total dissolved solids." It has to come from a geologically and physically protected underground source, and no minerals may be added. If TDS is below 500 ppm the label must say "low mineral content"; above 1,500 ppm it must say "high mineral content." So mineral water is defined by a number, not by a source type, and an artesian or spring water with 250 ppm or more could qualify.
"Water that has been produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis, or other suitable processes." This is the one category defined by process rather than origin. The starting water can be anything, including municipal tap, and the process strips out nearly everything, minerals included. Some brands add a mineral blend back for taste, hence "purified water with minerals added" on labels.
Total dissolved solids is the combined weight of everything dissolved in the water, mostly calcium, magnesium, sodium, bicarbonate, sulfate, chloride, and silica, in milligrams per litre (mg/L, effectively the same as ppm). It is the most useful number on a water analysis because it tracks closely with how the water feels in the mouth. The fine-water trade uses a five-band scale: super low (under 50 mg/L), low (50 to 250), medium (250 to 800), high (800 to 1,500), and very high (over 1,500). For a reference point, the EPA's secondary drinking-water guideline for TDS is 500 mg/L, above which water starts to taste salty and leaves deposits.
| Category | FDA basis | Typical TDS | Verified examples | How it reads on the palate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purified (distilled, RO, deionized) | Process | Roughly 0 to 50 mg/L before any remineralization | Distilled water: 0 to 5 mg/L; RO water: 5 to 50 mg/L | Flat, empty, slightly sharp; nothing to frame food |
| Artesian | Source (confined, pressurized aquifer) | Varies with the rock; often low to medium | Antipodes: 130 mg/L; FIJI: 222 mg/L | Soft, clean, silky when silica is high |
| Spring | Source (natural surface flow) | Wide range, commonly 50 to 300 mg/L or more | Evian: 357 mg/L | Noticeably more body; light chalk or sweetness |
| Mineral | Composition (250 mg/L or more, nothing added) | 250 to well over 1,500 mg/L | S.Pellegrino: 1,109 mg/L | Weighty, savory, sometimes a saline or bitter finish |
Notice that the categories overlap. An artesian water with 260 mg/L could be labelled mineral water, and a purified water with a mineral pack added can land anywhere. Ignore the category word on the bottle and go straight to the TDS figure on the brand's analysis sheet, then check sodium and bicarbonate, which decide whether the finish reads salty or chalky.
Think of minerality in water the way you think of body in wine. Low-TDS water is like a crisp white: clean, light, out of the way. High-TDS water is like a big red: weight, a finish, and it competes. They do different jobs at the table.
For a tasting menu, raw bar, sushi, or delicate fish, a low-TDS still water around 100 to 150 mg/L is the right pour. It resets the palate without adding a mineral note of its own. It matters for the wine program too: a water heavy in bicarbonate or sulfate can make a lean Chablis taste sour and a Riesling flat, while a soft, neutral water leaves the wine alone.
Higher-TDS mineral waters have their place too: a salty, bicarbonate-rich water stands up to charcuterie, aged cheese, and rich braises. If you offer both, put the lighter water on the table by default and let the mineral water be the request.
In the kitchen, TDS is a technical variable. Hard, high-mineral water slows the hydration of dried beans, throws off dough pH, and scales espresso machines and combi ovens. The Specialty Coffee Association's water standard targets 150 mg/L with an acceptable range of 75 to 250 mg/L for the same reason: too little mineral content and extraction is flat, too much and it turns harsh. For tea service or a house soda program, a consistent low-TDS bottled water gives you a result you can repeat.
Antipodes is bottled at source in Whakatane, in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty, from an artesian aquifer 327 metres deep in silica-rich ignimbrite, a volcanic rock. The company reports the water is 50 to 300 years old at bottling, receives only a simple microfiltration with no sterilisation, additives, or chemical treatment, and measures 130 mg/L TDS at pH 7.0. Silica sits around 76 to 78 mg/L, unusually high for a water this low in overall minerals, and it is the silica that gives the soft, almost silky texture. FineWaters classifies it as low minerality, soft (15 mg/L hardness), with superior virginality.
Antipodes holds Toitū net carbonzero certification for both the organisation and its bottled products, co-founded the Fine Water Society in 2008, and is among the most-awarded waters at the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting.
That is the fine-dining still profile: neutral, clean, and quiet next to food and wine. The sparkling version has a fine, soft bead rather than an aggressive fizz, which suits a tasting menu better than a mixer. We carry it in four formats: still 500 ml (case of 24), sparkling 500 ml (case of 24), still 1 L (case of 12), and sparkling 1 L (case of 12). The 500 ml bottle is the right size for a two-top or a single guest; the litre works for tables of four and for banquet service.
If you are building a beverage program, our guide to building a drinks program covers the rest of the bar, and the Feast Planner event calculator will help you size water quantities for events.
No. Spring water flows naturally to the surface through a natural opening, while artesian water is drawn from a well tapping a confined aquifer where pressure lifts the water above the top of the aquifer. The FDA defines them separately in 21 CFR 165.110. A flowing artesian well can be called an artesian spring, but most springs are not artesian.
They are different products. Purified water is defined by process (distillation, reverse osmosis, deionization) and has almost no minerals unless some are added back, so it tastes flat. Artesian water carries the natural mineral profile of its aquifer, which for a low-TDS source like Antipodes means a soft, clean taste that works with food and wine. At the table, a natural low-TDS water is the better pour.
Purified and distilled waters have the lowest TDS, often under 10 mg/L, but they are stripped rather than naturally low. Among natural waters, "super low" is under 50 mg/L and "low" runs 50 to 250 mg/L. Antipodes, at 130 mg/L, sits in the low band, the range fine-dining programs target for a house still because it tastes like water without adding weight.
FDA rules do not require any specific treatment for artesian water beyond meeting drinking-water quality standards; the source definition is about pressure. Many premium artesian bottlers use only microfiltration to remove particulates. Antipodes states that its water gets a simple microfiltration and nothing else, with no sterilisation, additives, or chemical treatment.
Yes. Mineral water is defined by composition (at least 250 mg/L TDS from a protected underground source with nothing added), so an artesian water that meets that threshold can be labelled mineral water. Most artesian waters sold for the table, including Antipodes at 130 mg/L, fall below the 250 mg/L line and are marketed on softness rather than minerality.
For a seated dinner, plan on roughly one 500 ml bottle per guest per hour of service, split about 60:40 still to sparkling, and more in warm weather or with spicy menus. A litre bottle covers a table of four for a course. Orders of $250 or more qualify for free local delivery to the South Shore, Boston, and Eastern Massachusetts.
Antipodes still and sparkling are stocked at our warehouse in Brockton, MA and delivered by our own team. Orders of $250 or more get free delivery across the South Shore, Boston, and Eastern Massachusetts through our Premium Water Delivery collection; a few outlying areas are excluded, so contact support@specialtyfoodsource.com for zone pricing if you are unsure. Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine are on our route too, with a $500 minimum for free delivery. Start with a mixed case of still and sparkling and taste it next to the menu you serve. Choose Subscribe & Save on any case for up to 5% off every standing delivery.
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21 CFR 165.110 Bottled water (eCFR)
USGS Water Science School: Artesian water and artesian wells
EPA Secondary Drinking Water Standards
Antipodes Water: About Us (source depth, water age, TDS, filtration, certifications)
Toitū Envirocare: Antipodes Water Company certification overview
FineWaters: Antipodes analysis
FineWaters: Minerality (TDS) classification
FineWaters: Evian, FIJI, S.Pellegrino
Young Gun of Wine: Water with Terroir (Antipodes interview)
AMPAC USA: TDS levels in drinking water (RO and distilled ranges)
SCA water quality standard for coffee brewing (TDS target 150 mg/L, range 75 to 250)
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