For many, the production of mineral water seems very easy. And at first glance it may seem so. After all, nature itself took care of the quality and benefits of the product. And the entrepreneur only needs to drill a well and put a tap so that the water flows directly into the bottles. This is only a superficial knowledge of the process. If we go deeper into the issue of mineral water production, a lot of nuances will appear, without which it is impossible to set up the quality work of the plant for bottling medicinal drinks.
Mineral water
In order to understand how complicated the process of producing bottled medicinal water is, let's look at what mineral water is. Firstly, it is a mineral that is formed in the bowels of the earth and poured onto the surface or mined using drilling rigs. But where does water come from in the earth? There are several hypotheses for the formation of mineral waters:
- Water that has fallen into the earth as a result of the process of infiltration (seepage) from the surface.
- Water released from mineral rocks under the influence of metamorphic and volcanic processes.
- Water from buried reservoirs during the accumulation of sedimentary rocks.
Subsequently, water circulates in the thickness of geological rocks and undergoes various changes: it is saturated with salts, gases, radioactive elements and organic components. As a result of a long time, under the influence of external factors, underground waters are formed with a unique composition, which a person has learned to use for medicinal purposes.
The healing properties of mineral waters have been known since antiquity. Many rulers organized places poured onto the surface of sources where health could be improved. Mineral water was used for bathing, inhalation, or simply ingestion. Mineral waters have different purposes depending on the composition of the dissolved components and their concentration. The article will consider only water used for food purposes.
Types of Mineral Water
Depending on which determining features are used for separation, mineral waters differentiate into different species. Consider the most popular classification for the concentration of dissolved elements:
- Table mineral water. The concentration of dissolved substances is less than 1 g / l. Such natural drinks can be freely used in everyday life without restrictions, like drinking water.
- Medical and dining rooms. The concentration ranges from 1 to 10 g / l. These waters have healing properties due to the higher salt content in the solution or the presence of biological components. It is applied without restrictions.
- Healing waters with a salt content of more than 10 g / l. Reception of such waters takes place only under the supervision of a doctor according to a strictly planned plan.
The first two types of water are freely sold in any supermarket or pharmacy, and in order to drink an ion-cationic cocktail, you do not need to ask permission from a doctor. The situation is different with medicinal mineral waters. Their consumption is possible only according to a certain scheme drawn up by a doctor. In supermarkets, a bottle marked "healing mineral water" can not be found. In order for the reception effect to be positive, it is recommended to use medicinal waters only in balneological sanatoriums or in mineral spas.
The beneficial effect of mineral waters
Everyone knows that, first of all, mineral water, when taken orally, has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Kidney disease can be treated with healing drinks. Also, table and medicinal-table waters can be used for inhalation to help the upper respiratory tract in diseases.
Mineral water extraction
It is known that mineral water is extracted from the earth by drilling wells. Sometimes their depth is more than one and a half thousand meters (for example, Borjomi mineral well). It happens that water itself finds its way to the surface of the earth through cracks in rock formations.
To preserve the uniqueness of natural deep waters, it is necessary to ensure the isolation of the production process. Mixing of mineral waters of different aquifers is strictly not allowed. For this, specialists carefully develop a project for drilling a future well. It must indicate the point on the liquidation or conservation of the well. And so that the extraction of mineral waters is not considered barbaric, it is necessary to take into account how much water will flow during self-spill. After all, only in this way the healing fluid pumped out of the bowels will resume again.
Mineral and drinking water production technology
Before bottling mineral water, which has risen to wells to the surface, it is necessary to go through several stages of production. About each in order:
- Water poured out of the well, first falls into a special tank, in which it accumulates for further production.
- The next step is cooling. Firstly, many mineral waters have a specific smell, which disappears when cooled. Secondly, the low water temperature is comfortable for bottling.
- After the water is purified from various impurities using filters. As cleaning agents, natural environmental materials are used: coal, sand, etc.
- Bacteriological safety of water is provided by the stage of ultraviolet exposure to water. It is the spectrum of light that can destroy harmful microorganisms in this case, without violating the structure of water.
- Enrichment with carbon dioxide. This event is held in order to preserve the beneficial properties of mineral waters for a long time. In addition, sparkling water tastes better to drink.
- Blowing plastic bottles from special blanks.
- Bottling of products on containers and transportation to the warehouse. After forwarding to the point of sale.
Equipment
In order for the mineral water production plant to work, it must be equipped with special equipment:
- Special tanks (large tanks) where water from the well will accumulate.
- Pumps that will pump water through pipes.
- Filters for water purification from undesirable mechanical impurities.
- Ultraviolet lamps for water disinfection.
- A device designed to saturate water with carbon dioxide.
- Automatic machine for bottling water in containers.
- The device that will blow plastic bottles from the blanks.
- Labeling machine.
- An apparatus that automatically or semi-automatically closes bottles tightly.
- Large capacity sterile containers in which purified water will be stored for bottling.
For quality control at the plant, it is necessary to organize a laboratory in which the chemical composition of the source water and its safety, as well as compliance with the standards of the finished product will be checked. It is advisable to have a warehouse on the territory of the enterprise for storing the manufactured goods.
Mineral Water Business
Despite the fact that today there are many factories in the country and abroad that are engaged in the extraction and bottling of mineral waters, this area remains promising. Firstly, this is due to the fact that the raw material base is unlimited, because with proper well operation, the supply of mineral water is restored. It will take a little to create a full production cycle of special units; the mineral water production technology does not contain complex schemes and steps. Secondly, the equipment is different in price: from inexpensive to exclusive. Thirdly, the damage done to nature is minimal (unlike, for example, sewage in the production of mineral fertilizers). The profitability of such an enterprise is about 30%. The equipment will be able to pay off within a year.