The FDA defines spring water as “water derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth.” The FDA sets stringent national standards for what qualifies as “spring water” – standards that Poland Spring® consistently meets or exceeds. Those requirements are: Spring water shall be collected only at the spring or through a borehole that taps into the underground formation feeding the spring. There must be a natural force causing the water to flow to the surface through a natural orifice. The location of the spring shall be identified. Spring water that is collected with the use of an external force, such as a pump, shall: be from the same underground stratum as the spring, as shown by a measurable hydraulic connection between the bore hole and the natural spring; have all the physical properties, before treatment, and be of the same composition and quality, as the water that flows naturally to the surface; and water must continue to flow naturally to the surface of the earth through the spring’s natural orifice. View the FDA requirements in the Code of Federal Regulations.