Water requirements for soft drinks

As carbonated soft drinks contain approximately 90% water the quality of the treated water used and the process required to achieve the necessary standards. Water acts as a carrier for the other ingredients.

The requirement for water in soft drink manufacturing is that it must be pure and tasteless.

Water should be free from
*High levels of elements and mineral salts such as iron, zinc, copper, calcium, sodium and potassium and have a total solids content do less than 100 ppm.
*Objectionable tastes and odors
*Organic material

It should also be
*Clear and colorless
*Free from dissolved oxygen
*Sterile, that is, free from all microbiological contaminants

For this reason, some form of pretreatment is required if the tap water used has any kind of taste. The pretreatment can include coagulation – flocculation, filtration, ion exchange and adsorption.

Various treatment systems are used to obtain water of the necessary quality but coagulation treatment employing cold lime softening, ferrous sulphate and chlorine has been the standard system used by many bottlers for some time.
Water requirements for soft drinks