Naturally pure water straight from the depths of New Zealand
New Zealand is globally revered for our clean, green and pure status. We’re one of the youngest developed countries in the world. We’re so far from anywhere else that we’ve managed to remain fairly unpolluted and untouched. And we pride ourselves on producing premium Kiwi-made products from our natural and renewable resources.
One of these premium renewable Kiwi-made products is water. “Water?” I hear you ask. “That’s hardly a premium product!” Well, it is when you invest in a bottle of Waiwera water.
The History
Waiwera is a little community about 30 minutes north of Auckland city. Famed far and wide for its thermal pools, the name makes a bit more sense when you break it down. ‘Wai’ means ‘water’ in Te Reo Maori, New Zealand’s native language, while ‘wera’ means ‘hot.’
Along with their family-friendly hot pools and waterslides, Waiwera is also famous for producing some of the best pure bottled water in New Zealand. In fact, in 1875 Waiwera boasted the accolade of being the producer of the first bottled water in the Southern Hemisphere.
What makes Waiwera’s water so special is how old it is. Approximately 1.5 kilometres beneath the Waiwera Valley lies one of the South Pacific’s major geothermal aquifers. Carbon daters estimate this water supply to be approximately 15,000 years old, which makes Waiwera’s artesian water one of the oldest in the world.
Artesian water? Is that different to regular water? Artesian aquifers deep beneath the earth’s surface are surrounded by impermeable rock which puts the water under pressure. The only way to access the water is when it’s released through a spring or well, and because it’s under so much pressure, when the artesian water is tapped it flows up the well by itself.
Taste
I know, I know. You’re thinking, “But water doesn’t taste like anything.” Well, GREAT water doesn’t taste like anything. Any other water you’ve tasted probably tastes like chlorine or fluoride, but because you’ve never tried anything else you don’t even realise.
Waiwera water is clean, pure and refreshing. Just one mouthful tastes a little bit like I’d imagine rain in heaven tasting like. You can immediately taste that it’s free from impurities and added chemicals, and it’s instantly recognisable when you switch back to the main town supply.
Experience
Premium Waiwera water is sold all over the world in both glass and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles (both of which are recyclable), and in still and sparkling variants. Because Waiwera water is such a premium product, it’s quite normal to find it stocked in many of the world’s finest restaurants, hotels and specialist gourmet stores. You can even buy it online.
One of the most iconic features of Waiwera water is the green glass bottle. It was designed by inventor and design David Melrose – which makes sense because it is pretty much a work of art.
I’m not one to openly seem full of myself, but whenever I buy a bottle of Waiwera water, I keep the glass bottle on my desk for months afterwards. Sure, refilling it from the tap just isn’t the same as buying it direct from the Waiwera water supply, but no one else needs to know that.
Waiwera water isn’t just about taste, though. The bottlers go to great lengths to present their premium water with a quality stamp by complying with the highest bottled water industry standards. Waiwera water is committed to eliminating their carbon footprint and leading sustainable business practices, and have joined forces with VerusCarbon Neutral to offset 100% of the CO2e generated through the entire production and transportation of all Waiwera Artesian Water products distributed in the United States. Waiwera water has also consistently won awards and accolades all over the world, the most recent being the Superior Taste Award 2012, International Taste & Quality Institute, in Brussels.
Price
Waiwera water is well-priced for its taste and purity, but it’s definitely not an everyday purchase. At NZD$4 for one one-litre glass bottle, it’s a little on the pricey side – but definitely worth it for a fresh treat.
In this article
