Poland Spring water is legally labeled as “100% Natural Spring Water” because it meets FDA standards for spring water: it must come from a natural spring and retain its original composition.
According to the FDA’s Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR §165.110), bottled water labeled as “spring water” must:
Be derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface
Be collected only at the spring or through a borehole tapping the underground source
Maintain the same composition and quality as the spring itself — no alteration beyond safe treatment
Poland Spring sources its water from multiple springs in Maine and surrounding areas, and it complies with these standards.
From Poland Spring’s 2024 Water Quality Report:
No added ingredients — it’s just water
Mineral content (varies slightly by source):
Calcium: 4.6–11 mg/L
Magnesium: 0.91–1.9 mg/L
Potassium: up to 1 mg/L
Fluoride: ND–0.21 mg/L (ND = not detected)
pH range: 5.1–7.6
No detectable levels of lead, arsenic, mercury, or other harmful contaminants
Purified water is typically processed via distillation, reverse osmosis, or deionization
Poland Spring is not purified — it’s filtered and ozonated for safety, but retains its natural mineral profile
In past lawsuits, critics argued that Poland Spring’s sources weren’t true springs.
However, the company has maintained compliance with FDA definitions and continues to label its product as “spring water” legally
Poland spring watwr used to be from a mineral water spring, and was the reason people travelled great distances to get it, for its suppxoed healing properties. Now its from ordinary springs. While it is “just water” its not the mineral spring watwr it once was
Ai “Poland Spring water is currently facing legal challenges regarding its classification. A federal judge has allowed a lawsuit to proceed that claims Poland Spring water does not meet the standards for being labeled as spring water under FDA and state laws. This lawsuit raises questions about the authenticity of the water’s source and whether it can still be considered mineral water. Additionally, there are concerns about the presence of harmful substances in the water, which further complicates its reputation.”
If you wish to r3ad about the history, here is a good link. I have a spedial interest in the history.
https://thekitchenpursuits.com/what-happened-to-poland-spring-water/
The TDS of todays poland spring water is 20 mg/l, whereas the TDS of the original was 50-100 mg/l
The minerals of todays watwr is added in during proc3ssing