What is Purified Water?

Storing water isn't easy!

Aqua Blox® is a purified water product packaged in aseptic (drink box) containers.  "Purified" water means that the water contains less than 10 parts per million of total dissolved solids, i.e., minerals.

The water used in Aqua Blox® is also commercially sterile, which means there is no microbial growth in it. This is achieved with our unique aseptic package which has seven layers of specially laminated material.  Conversely bottled water always has some bacteria present.   Bacteria multiply continually and after several months the bacterial count in bottled water escalates to the point of rendering the water unfit for human consumption.

How does Aqua Blox® avoid contamination?

The special layers in the Aqua Blox® package called "laminates" prevent any source of contamination from penetrating.  This includes light, oxygen, debris, and so forth.

How can Aqua Blox® water last 5 years?

There are four factors which must be present to allow any water product to have a 5 year shelf life.

1.The water must be sterile.  This is accomplished through Ultra High Temperature pasteurization (UHT).

2.The interior of the water container must be sterile.  The entire interior surface of the Aqua Blox® packaging is sterilized during the filling process.

3. The container must be airtight.  The Aqua Blox® package is airtight.  This is accomplished by using multi-layer laminates in the packaging which create a barrier impermeable to outside elements and contaminates.   Since plastic breathes, bottled water cannot be made to last more than a few months.

4.The container must be resistant to light.  The laminated layers in the AquaBlox® aseptic container are designed to prevent light from entering.  Light is a catalyst for microbial growth and therefore must be eliminated to give water an extensive shelf life.

Aqua Blox® is the first and only aseptically packaged water in North America.  Europeans have been using aseptically packaged water since 1973.  The drink box (aseptic package) was invented in Europe to prolong the shelf life of many beverages, including water.

It is important not to confuse other aseptically packaged beverages with Aqua Blox® aseptically packaged water.  Juices and other beverages do not last 5 years because they have other components (substrates) in them which naturally break down over time.  Purified water has no substrates; its only component is the water molecule.

Finally, the packaging material used for water differs considerably from the material  used for other beverages.  With Aqua Blox®, there is a special poly laminate layer along the interior surface of the box.  This layer is referred to as the "water paper liner", which prevents water molecules from touching the aluminum foil layer and rendering an unsavory metallic taste.  The manufacturers of Aqua Blox® believe it is important that the water taste pleasant, in addition to having an extensive shelf life.

What proof do I have that Aqua Blox® will last 5 years?

Aqua Blox® are U.S. Coast Guard Approved.  This means they have been approved by the United States government for military use.  To gain Coast Guard Approval, multiple samples of product must undergo a rigorous battery of tests, which can take up to eighteen months to complete.  A Coast Guard approved laboratory performs the tests and determines that the water will last five years.  Additionally, every time Aqua Blox® is manufactured, samples are sent to a government approved lab.  The product must pass all tests before it can be released. 

The "pouch-type" water package has only 3 layers of a material called Mylar, a form of metal.  The water in the pouch touches the Mylar layer.   Water next to metal is highly reactive and therefore trace components from the Mylar can leach into the water giving the pouch water an unusual taste.  There is no Mylar in Aqua Blox®.  Additionally, Aqua Blox® has a total of 7 layers, one of which protects the water's taste.  Research has found that children are especially opposed to drinking water with an unusual taste.

In an emergency situation, dehydration is a serious risk and it is therefore critical that the water be pleasant enough for everyone to consume.