European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 23, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Not Art bottled Waters Are the same end some May be no better than what comes out of your tap science writer Jane Brody quoting studies. Article slated.bol1led Waters May be  naturally Carbona Ett effervescent or sparkling or artificially carbonated will Carbon dioxide Gas. The Hassia & Luisen plan is one of the largest of the numerous dolled Waler plants in bad Risbel. A town near Frankf Uil Hassia & Luisen manager Joachim Weihl said 10 Percy no of Alt willed water in West Germany originates from bad Wilbel because of the Many natural Springs in the area Hassia & Luison was previously two separate companies Lylial merged in 1982. Both Aie More than 100 years old the site of the main Hassia Spring used since 1936 is located hear the Center of town and i marked by a statue and plaque water irom this 321 meter deep Spring is pumped to the Plant for Bolliing. Hassia 6 Luisen uses 10 Springs to the area and each Spring carries its own Label on the bottle. Natural minerals such As Calcium sodium magnesium and potassium found in the water cannot be added in or taken away Weihl said drily Earbon lion is added 16 the water he said. The exact. Mineral can Tell of natural Spring Walers varies depending on the Spring from which it is taken. The sodium Content of some bottled Walers could be potentially hazardous for those with heart problems or High blood pressure said maj Jane Imholte Chiel of the nutrition care division at tie army Hospital in bad Cannstatt. West Germany people Weslh Sheso of Bloms mayan Globe careful regarding their sodium make irom bottled water she said. The american heart association recommends a limit of 20 milligrams of sodium per liter or quart of Waler As a Standard Lor persons suffering trom head or kidney ailments who require a Low sodium diet bottled Waters sold in military commissaries Are not necessarily Low in sodium people concerned about sodium Content should Road the labels because Many brands list Mineral Content of the water including sodium for example the Label on Iho French bottled Wales evian reads sail free Only 1 2 mfg pee 8 02 Glass " when Reading labels on German brands of Mineral Waler.   is Raj drum. Gonio bottle Waters sold in Europe containing loss than 20 milligrams of sodium per met include Villel Grando source. Spa refine and Perner. Bol led Waters Wlsh More than �0 milligrams of sodium Are Apoll mans Vichy. Ramloss and san Pellegrom for most people however the health benefits of drinking bottled water compared to soda or alcoholic beverages far outweigh any dangers of consuming too much sodium i Hosle said All Walers  Mineral Calls including sodium unless they Are definer Alivod. Bol led water is As susceptible to contamination As Lap water. Laboratory technicians at the Hassia & Luisen Plant test the water for possible bacteria contamination every Day. Bottled water is also regulated by the West German government Weihl said. The Vendor of each Brand of bottled Waler sold in army air Force and Navy commissaries is primarily responsible Lor the testing of contamination in bottled Waler. However As an additional safeguard Bolhov water sold Iri commissaries is Lesley once a month for bacterial Content by the department of veterinary Medicine Al Iho 1011v medical Laboratory in lands Uhl West Germany Sali. Col Byron Wilson chief of the department. The heal bet when buying bottled Walers is to choose a non Industrial water that s bolted directly from a Spring in a non Industrial area where few pollutants could reach the Waler according to Brady s Book. Such Walers would be labelled natural Spring Waler directly from the source or with an. Equivalent statement. Although the tradition of drinking Bol tied water in Germany is not As old Asil is in other parts of Europe consumption of Bol led water is climbing in the country Weihl said. A greater awareness of the dangers of. Drinking Atco Holand driving and a desire id consume substances that Are natural and healthy have spurred the increase he said. Germans have preferred Boll Fod water Wilh a High level of carbonation. In part because the custom was to mix the water with other beverages. Bui now More people Are buying Stjes Iva scr silent water water with lower carbonation and lower Mineral contend. Weihl said. Why i tastes that Way whether a Glass of water lasts be a Cool Clear Mountain Stream or a Mout Htu of Iron filings depends on the substances in contains fortunately minerals and other products that usually Tiac Lasle and Small Are not generally harmful to health the most common complaints people have about the drinking water in overseas military facilities concern Iron and hardness. A problem Wilh Iron in the Walor usually exists whore there Are old water systems Mado of cast Iron pipes said Willy Cal chief of the environmental chemistry division of the preventive Medicine depot Lenl at he 10lh medical Laboratory in Lan Stuhl. West Germany the Iron Russ giving the water an Orange color that slams clothes pots. Pans bathtubs and sinks it also changes the Laslo the Iron is not harmful to the Drinker s Haltli the Only Way to remove Iron irom the Waler Perma Nolly is to replace old pipes that is being done in some army communities Neal said hard water is caused by a High  of dissolved Calcium and magnesium carbonates in the water hardness or Rollness is determined by the types of Rock in the ground where the water comes from in Germany most of the water is hard because of the Granite Marble and lava that was pulverized into the ground during the glacial ago Neal said a High Calcium Contons in water is not such cell to provide any Benefit to women concerned Aboul Calcium intake hard Waler causes scale to build up in Codee pols Walor pipes and boilers and inhibits lather production of soaps by does hoi cause health problems said Mai Kent Stringham officer in charge of the environmental engineering Section of the Safe environmental health  Wiesbaden West Germany. The magnesium in hard Waler May have a laxative effect on some people he added. Other substances 1hat affect the aesthetic qualities of water include Chloride sul lates and manganese High Levels of sulfa Les and chlorides can make Waler table Salty and have a laxative Elfeel manganese in High concentrations also causes Slair Ang and gives the water a bad smell similar to sweaty socks. Neal said another complain occurring More often concerns a Luel smell to the Waler Neal said repeated Laboratory tests have Lound nothing in the water that is harmful he said tha fuel smell does nol persist bul rather comes and goes it May be caused by Petroleum products in the ground located near water sources he said. People living Al air Force facilities in West Germany have also occasionally complained of a Luel smell in Iho Walor. Stringham said the smell sometimes occurs when work has been done on water lines or there has been a Back Siphon age of material Inlo the Waler trom Low pressure sodium Levels in the drinking water Are monitored by the military labs primarily for people who Are on sodium ires or sodium restricted diets. Janet d Agostino sunday. April 23, 1969 the stars and stripes Page 17