Lithia (water brand) facts for kids
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| Country | USA |
|---|---|
| Introduced | 1888 |
| Source | Lithia Springs, GA |
| Type | Lithia water |
| pH | 7.3 - 8 |
| Bromine (Br) | 450 mcg |
| Calcium (Ca) | 130 mg |
| Lithium (Li) | 500 mcg |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 8 mg |
| Potassium (K) | 17 mg |
| Sodium (Na) | 450 mg |
| TDS | 2300 |
| Website | Lithiaspringwater.com |
| All concentrations in milligrams per liter (mg/L); pH without units | |
Lithia Spring Water is a special kind of bottled water from the United States. It's known for having many natural minerals, including lithium carbonate. This water comes from an ancient spring in Lithia Springs, Georgia. People have been getting water from this spring since 1888.
The spring is located near Stone Mountain, Georgia. It's right on the border of Cobb and Douglas counties, about twelve miles from Atlanta.
Lithia Spring Water has a lot of minerals dissolved in it. Scientists measure this as "total dissolved solids" (TDS). This water has 2,300 milligrams of solids per liter. It contains elements like lithium, calcium, sulfate, magnesium, potassium, silica, and sodium.
The company Lithia Spring Water, LLC. owns the brand. You can buy Lithia Spring Water directly from the Historic Lithia Springs site. It is shipped only within the United States.
Contents
History of Lithia Spring Water
Lithia Springs was a very important place for Native American people long ago. It was a healing center for the southern Cherokee Nation until 1838. The last Cherokee chief who looked after the springs was named Ama-Kanasta. He got his name, which means "Sweetwater," from the spring's water.
In 1882, the town of Lithia Springs, Georgia, was named after this natural spring. The water was so popular for its health benefits that people traveled long distances to visit. The nearby city of Austell, Georgia, also grew because of the spring's fame.
In 1887, a judge from Atlanta named Judge Bowden bought the springs with some friends. They started bottling and selling the water. In 1888, the Bowden Lithia Spring Water Co. opened offices in New York City. That same year, a big luxury health resort called the Sweet Water Hotel opened in Lithia Springs.
The Sweet Water Hotel and its famous Lithia spring water were very popular. Famous people like Mark Twain, the Vanderbilt family, and presidents Grover Cleveland, William Howard Taft, William McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt were said to have visited. Guests at the resort received a large bottle of Lithia Spring Water in their room. They could also enjoy the special Lithia Vapor Baths.
In 1887, Bowden Lithia Water won a "Gold Medal" at the Piedmont Exposition in Atlanta. This showed how special the water was.
Where the Spring Water Comes From
The special qualities of Lithia Spring Water come from the ground it flows through. The water starts deep underground. It slowly moves through cracks in granite rock. As it travels, it picks up minerals from the blue quartz-filled granite.
The water comes out of Lithia Springs at a cool temperature of about 14.44 °C (58 °F). The water's unique mix of minerals and its natural lithium content have stayed almost the same since 1888. A special thing about this water is that it has no nitrate. This means the water comes from a very old, pure source deep underground, not from surface water. The spring produces only a small amount of water, just a few thousand gallons each day.
How the Water is Packaged
Lithia Spring Water used to be sold only in glass bottles before 1984. But glass bottles often broke and were expensive to ship. So, the company started using plastic bottles.
In 2017, the company decided to stop using plastic bottles. They wanted a more eco-friendly solution that was safe and could be recycled. They chose an innovative 5-liter eco-friendly spout bag. This new packaging helps reduce shipping costs and waste.
To make sure the water is safe and fresh, it's taken directly from the spring in small amounts. Special cleaning methods are used. These include nano-filtration technology, which was developed by NASA, and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI). These technologies remove any unwanted germs without changing the water's natural properties.
See also
- Lithia water
- Mineral water
- Lithia Springs, Georgia
- Austell, Georgia
