Poland Spring facts for kids
Poland Spring is a popular brand of bottled water that comes from the state of Maine in the United States. It gets its name from the original natural spring located in the town of Poland, Maine. Today, Poland Spring is part of a company called BlueTriton Brands.
This water brand is sold across the Northeastern United States. In 2006, Poland Spring was the best-selling spring water brand in America. The company has also worked to be more environmentally friendly. In 2007, Poland Spring started using bottles that have 30% less plastic.
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| Market | Northeastern United States |
|---|---|
| Produced by | BlueTriton Brands |
| Introduced | 1870 |
| Tagline | "Born Better" |
| Type | Still |
| pH | 5.4–7.3 |
| Bromine (Br) | 0–0.014 |
| Calcium (Ca) | 3.7–12 |
| Chloride (Cl) | 0–14 |
| Fluoride (F) | 0–0.25 |
| Magnesium (Mg) | 0.67–1.6 |
| Nitrate (NO3) | 0 |
| Potassium (K) | 0 |
| Sodium (Na) | 1.6–9.1 |
| Sulfate (SO4) | 0–8.1 |
| TDS | 0–74 |
| All concentrations in milligrams per liter (mg/L); pH without units | |
Contents
The Story of Poland Spring
The history of the Poland Spring water goes back a long time, to the late 1700s. In 1797, a place called The Wentworth Ricker Inn opened. It was built on the land owned by Jabez Ricker.
How the Water Became Famous
In 1844, Jabez's grandson, Hiram W. Ricker, said that drinking water from the spring on their property helped him feel better from a stomach problem. This made the spring water quite famous!
In 1861, the inn was made bigger and renamed The Mansion House. It grew into a popular resort where people would visit. Guests at the inn also talked about how good the spring water was. Back then, it was common for people to "take the waters" (drink special spring water) to help with many illnesses. This made the business even more popular.
Soon, the Ricker family started putting the water into bottles to sell. The inn became even grander and was nicknamed "Ricker's Folly" by local people. It was renamed the Poland Spring House and officially opened on July 4, 1876. This resort stayed very important into the early 1900s. However, the Ricker family lost control of the company during the 1930s. A resort still operates at the original location today.
Ownership Changes
Poland Spring was an independent company for a long time. Then, in 1980, it was bought by the Perrier Water Company. Later, in 1992, a large company called Nestle bought Poland Spring when it took over Perrier. In March 2021, Nestle sold its bottled water brands in North America, including Poland Spring, to other companies.
Poland Spring Products
Today, Poland Spring sells its water in many different sizes. You can find small bottles like 8, 12, and 20 ounce sizes. They also sell larger bottles, including 5-gallon ones, which are often used in water coolers at offices or homes.
You can also find 3-liter, 1-gallon, and 2.5-gallon bottles in most supermarkets. These larger sizes can also be delivered to homes in the Northeastern United States.
Different Kinds of Water
Besides plain spring water, Poland Spring also offers other types of water. These include sparkling water, and flavored sparkling waters like lemon and lime. They also produce distilled water. Poland Spring is also known for making the Aquapod line of products, which are fun, small bottles for kids.
Bottles and Recycling
All Poland Spring products are sold in plastic bottles. This is done for both safety and cost reasons. The company has worked to make its bottles safer and better for the environment.
Today, most small Poland Spring bottles are not made from a type of plastic that contains a chemical called Bisphenol-A (BPA). The large 5-gallon bottles are also BPA-free. In 2013, new bottles started appearing that are also BPA-free. You can often tell these bottles apart by their different handle design.
In 2005, Poland Spring changed the color of its 1-gallon bottle caps from dark green to clear. This change was made to remove the dye from the cap, which makes it easier to recycle. Later, in November 2007, Poland Spring introduced a lighter bottle called the Eco-Shape. This new bottle uses 30 percent less plastic, which is better for the planet.
See also
