The structural properties of water have been under investigation for decades but remain a subject of debate. A recent controversy has arisen with evidence suggesting that the region of water located at the interface with hydrophilic surfaces is highly structured and extends up to 500 gm. The supporting evidence for this claim is the physical exdusion of particulates resulting in an Exclusion Zone, or "EZ" and birefringence as seen through a polarized light microscope. Several studies have been undertaken to investigate alternate causes for the Exclusion Zone and these suggest that a flow of ions from the hydrophilic material is an alternate explanation. This study investigates both claims with particular emphasis on the presence of birefringence in the EZ. The findings indicate that any observed birefringence in EZ water is not due to a crystalline structuring of water but is rather an optical reflection phenomenon from the material at the water-surface interface. Crown Copyright (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.