North of Perrier’s bottling facilities in Vergèze lies the “Garrigues de Nîmes” area, made of limestone formations dating back to the Mesozoic era. Over centuries, these rocks fractured, allowing water to flow through. Initially, the limestone was covered by marl from the Pliocene period, which was later overlain by alluvial deposits containing siliceous sand. This sand was eventually covered by an impermeable clay layer that perfectly protects the Perrier water reservoir.
Carbon dioxide, possibly formed by volcanic activity or the removal of carbon from limestone, passes through cracks in the rocks and becomes trapped beneath the impermeable marl layer. Through cracks in the marl, the gas rises to the surface at the “les Bouillens” site, where Perrier emerges as naturally carbonated water, enriched by the source gas.
To ensure Perrier’s signature bubble content (approximately 50 million bubbles per liter!), carbon dioxide is collected separately from the source and reintroduced into the water during the bottling process.
