Mineral Springs are Bulgaria’s Greatest Natural Asset

bnr.bg, Gergana Mancheva

Ancient Thracians, who inhabited our lands thousands of years ago, were familiar with the healing powers of mineral springs. During Roman times, some of the most renowned balneological healing centers were built in our lands. Few countries in Europe and in the world can compete with Bulgaria in terms of variety and abundance of their thermal springs. Up until now, approximately 800 mineral water sources have been discovered and studied in this country. Over 80% of them have curative properties and their temperature varies between 20 and 101 degrees Celsius. Most of the thermal springs in Bulgaria originate from a great depth, which guarantees the purity of the water. Yet, for the most part, this natural wealth remains unused. Most often, the springs serve as the basis for the development of tourism and balneology in Bulgaria. Renowned for its healing properties is the water of Hisarya, Bankya, Sandanski, Narechenski mineral springs, and others. Modern spa centers have been built at these and other locations in Bulgaria, which attract visitors from the country and abroad.
The properties of mineral water in enhancing human immune system and helping to eliminate toxins are well known. As long as they are used properly, mineral springs can alleviate serious illnesses and help their treatment. Hydrologists say that every single spring in Bulgaria is perfectly pure, the reason being that they originate from a great depth and do not contain any of the harmful substances that pollute the soil. Environmentalists say that if the pollution of the air and soil continue at the present rate, in no more than 15 to 20 years, the price of mineral water will be higher than that of petrol. And if it is true that Bulgaria’s mineral water can meet the needs of the entire European market and beyond, this could bring us riches, comparable to those of the oil countries in the Middle East.
Bulgarians are becoming more and more interested in the quality and use of their country’s mineral springs, chemical engineer Diana Kiskolova states. She is also the director of “Hydrocomp Thorn Spring” – an enterprise that bottles mineral water from the region of Trun in Western Bulgaria. This is one of the ecologically cleanest regions of the country, she says.
“To me, personally, the business of bottling water is very interesting because I find that in Bulgaria, there are ample opportunities for its development. I believe that mineral water is our oil for abroad, Diana Kiskolova says. In terms of composition, it differs little from the most popular brand in the world, the French “Evian”, and this is a great asset when it comes to exporting our merchandise to the European market. Water is a product that will be consumed more and more in a bottled state. We chose the spring in Trun because its water has a unique composition and renowned qualities. Mineral water is bottled in the state in which it gushes. Of course, it does pass through the obligatory filtration, yet we are forbidden to alter it in any other way. Not one component is modified artificially. Nature in Trun and around is beautiful and pristine. This is a municipality with approximately 5000 inhabitants, which means it is sparsely populated. There is no industrial activity within a radius of 50 km around the spring. Our priority now is to bring the qualities of the water to the attention of consumers. For this purpose, we have opened a school for consumers. We will devote special attention to the minimum requirements and to the facts that everyone should know about the composition and the properties of Bulgaria’s mineral water. My personal recommendation is to note the concentration of fluoride in the water and if it is more than 1 ½ units the water should not be drunk, even if it is considered safe for human consumption. We should remember that in Bulgaria there is a huge choice of quality mineral water, which is a perfect complement to our meal,” Diana Kiskilova concludes.