Crystal Geyser is a natural spring water that’s generally safe to drink and comparable to other bottled spring waters, but it comes with a notable history worth knowing about. The water contains trace minerals from its underground sources and meets federal drinking water standards, though the company behind it has faced serious legal trouble over how it handled arsenic-contaminated waste at one of its bottling facilities.
What’s Actually in Crystal Geyser Water
Crystal Geyser is sourced from natural springs, meaning it comes from groundwater that has traveled through underground layers of limestone, sandstone, and clay. This natural filtration process leaves behind small amounts of minerals like calcium, magnesium, and potassium. These minerals are present in trace amounts, so you shouldn’t count on Crystal Geyser (or any bottled water) as a meaningful source of nutrition. The fluoride concentration has been measured at roughly 0.07 mg/L, which is well below the levels added to most municipal tap water for dental health.
This is one area where spring water differs from purified water. Purified brands use processes like reverse osmosis or distillation that strip out virtually all mineral content. Spring water retains whatever minerals it picked up underground. Neither approach is clearly better for your health. The mineral quantities in spring water are too small to make a significant dietary difference for most people.
The pH Level
Crystal Geyser has tested at a pH of 6.9, which is just barely below neutral (7.0 on the scale). This puts it in line with most natural spring waters and close to what comes out of your tap. Despite marketing claims from some competing brands, there’s no strong evidence that slightly alkaline or slightly acidic water affects your health in any meaningful way. Your body tightly regulates its own pH regardless of what you drink.
The Arsenic Waste Controversy
The biggest mark against Crystal Geyser isn’t the water in the bottle. It’s what the company did with its waste. CG Roxane, the company that bottles Crystal Geyser, pleaded guilty to federal charges for illegally storing and transporting hazardous waste contaminated with arsenic. The company paid a $5 million criminal fine.
Here’s what happened: the groundwater drawn from Crystal Geyser’s facility on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains contained naturally occurring arsenic. The company used sand filters to reduce arsenic levels so the finished product would meet federal drinking water standards. That filtration process generated thousands of gallons of arsenic-laden wastewater, which CG Roxane dumped into a manmade pond at its Olancha, California facility for roughly 15 years.
When California’s regional water board tested that pond in 2013, arsenic concentrations were more than eight times the hazardous waste limit. A follow-up by the state’s Department of Toxic Substances Control found levels nearly five times the federal hazardous waste threshold. In 2015, the company hired contractors to remove the waste, but more than 23,000 gallons of it ended up discharged into a sewer without proper treatment or hazardous material labeling.
To be clear, this was about how the company disposed of its industrial waste, not about arsenic levels in the bottled water sold to consumers. The filtration process was designed to bring the finished product within legal limits. But the episode raises legitimate questions about corporate responsibility and environmental practices, which matters if those things factor into your purchasing decisions.
Microplastics in Bottled Water
One concern that applies to Crystal Geyser and every other bottled water brand is microplastic contamination. Research from Ohio State University found that bottled water contains roughly three times as many nanoplastic particles as treated tap water. Over half of the detected particles were nanoplastics, which are so small they can potentially cross biological barriers in the body. The most common plastic particles came from the packaging itself.
Crystal Geyser uses standard PET plastic bottles, the same material used by most bottled water brands. This isn’t a problem unique to Crystal Geyser, but it’s worth considering if you’re choosing between bottled water and filtered tap water as your daily drinking source. If your tap water is safe and you use a basic home filter, you’ll likely end up with fewer plastic particles than any bottled option.
How It Compares to Tap Water
For most people in the United States, municipal tap water is tested more frequently and held to stricter reporting requirements than bottled water. The EPA regulates tap water, while the FDA oversees bottled water with somewhat less rigorous monitoring. That doesn’t mean bottled water is unsafe, but it does mean tap water isn’t the inferior choice many people assume it to be.
Crystal Geyser has the slight advantage of naturally occurring minerals and the absence of added chlorine, which can affect taste. On the other hand, tap water typically contains more fluoride (beneficial for teeth), costs a fraction of the price, and doesn’t introduce microplastics from packaging. If you dislike the taste of your tap water, a simple carbon filter addresses that without the cost or plastic waste of buying bottles.
The Bottom Line on Crystal Geyser
Crystal Geyser is a standard natural spring water that meets federal safety requirements. It won’t harm you, and it won’t meaningfully boost your health beyond keeping you hydrated. The arsenic waste scandal is concerning from an environmental and ethical standpoint, though it didn’t directly affect the safety of the bottled product. If you’re buying it occasionally for convenience, it’s fine. If you’re buying it daily as your primary water source, filtered tap water gives you the same hydration with fewer microplastics and far less cost.