The Hidden Sea: Ground Water, Springs, and Wells by Francis H. Chapelle

This book is about more than sparkling water, but it explains where its features (or character) actually comes from. Like his other book, Chapelle traces how water moves through rock over time, dissolving minerals that later show up as structure, texture, and subtle flavor. The key lens is geology, aquifer type, rock composition, depth, and residence time all shaping mineral content and balance. All of this shows up directly into taste since calcium, magnesium, sodium, and bicarbonate influence sweetness, bitterness, salinity, and mouthfeel. He also clarifies how springs differ from wells and how stability or variability in a source affects consistency in the bottle.