Drinking water: what is best?

We know it is essential to our very survival, but with the ever-growing range of options available, which kind of water should we be drinking? Holly Davis reports.

As a country, we are surrounded by it. We pay more for housing close to it. We frolic and play in, on and around it. We bathe and swim in it. And of course, we drink it. But until recently we have taken water for granted, particularly that which comes from our taps.

Now, after a prolonged drought, we seem to be more aware that water is a precious resource and that its quality matters. In an ideal world we would all live beside a pristine spring and source our water from there, but since that’s not possible, how do we decide which water to drink? Should it be water straight from the tap? Tap water that has been filtered or otherwise purified? Or should we buy bottled water?

If we choose based on cost alone, we would opt for tap water – the least expensive option. If we decide to filter our water, we will need to choose the system that best suits our needs and budget. When it comes to bottled water, they may all appear to be identical, but there are many varieties offering quite different properties.

Growing up in the 1960s and 70s the only bottled waters I recall were sparkling Perrier or still Evian – French waters that were considered an absolute luxury. These glass-bottled waters were only on offer on very special occasions, or when we were abroad and the local tap water was deemed a risk to our delicate constitutions.

Today, there are dedicated water fridges at petrol stations, stacked full with options from across the globe, and local waters abound. Many boast very attractive labels suggesting the water has been collected at the foot of a pristine mountain range or direct from the spring. Actually, it is only the bottles that say ‘bottled at source’ that come to you from such places. Others may be collected from a natural source and then pumped and shipped to treatment and bottling plants [See What water is what?, page 93]. Prices vary enormously, and you can pay dearly for the distance the water has travelled.

There are also a huge variety of drinks with ‘water’ in the title that contain many other ingredients, including sugars. These may be fruit flavoured in pretty colours with ‘natural colourings and flavours’ and possibly added vitamins and minerals, too. As the marketing departments of major companies go nuts providing us – and more importantly, our children – with greater choices, and growing an industry currently worth US$85 billion a year globally, I think it is time for us to consider the question: ‘When does water become a soft drink?‘. In 2005 the International Bottled Water Association stated: “Drinking water contains no added sweeteners or chemical additives (other than flavours, extracts or essences). It must be calorie free and sugar free. Flavours, extracts or essences may be added to drinking water comprising less than one per cent by weight of the final product or the product will be considered a soft drink. Drinking water may be sodium free or contain very low amounts of sodium.”

For the sake of our children especially, I would like to see an end to the naming of products that are so clearly not ‘water’. Cost and content notwithstanding, it seems that for many, and particularly for women, carrying a water bottle has become an obsession. Inseparable from their bottles, they can be seen downing large amounts of water as if they are in danger of immediate dehydration and as though their life depends on it.

Of course we know without water there is no life. We require water for just about every bodily function, including digestion, the regulation of our temperature and blood pressure. We need to drink water to replace the fluids we lose through our breath and when we urinate and perspire. Being well hydrated also boosts our concentration levels and helps us burn calories.

Studies have shown a link between high water consumption and a reduced risk of constipation, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, bladder cancer and even the common cold. Conversely, an insufficient intake can reduce our body’s defences against disease. But since most of us are highly motivated by how we look, perhaps the greatest incentive for increasing our fluid intake is the effect not doing so has on our skin. Being dehydrated can speed up the ageing process and that means dry skin and more wrinkles.

The commonly accepted standard for how much fluid we need to consume each day is the equivalent of a minimum of eight glasses or two litres of water. But we need not consume our daily requirement as drinking water alone.

Our body extracts and utilises the water component of fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and juice and anything we eat that has been cooked in, or with, water. Eating a wholefood diet with as few additives as possible will provide us with plenty of sources of water. But foods containing sugar, caffeine or alcohol all have a negative impact on hydration.

Everyone’s needs differ according to his or her diet, environment and exercise routine. We dehydrate faster when heaters or air conditioning are in use; when doing any form of strenuous exercise or when we have a fever, suffer from diarrhoea or have been vomiting. At these times we need to ensure we replace whatever fluid has been lost. Pregnancy and breastfeeding also significantly increase our requirement for water.

Since there is much conflicting information, it is probably best that you take note of the volume you are consuming and adjust according to what you think is best for your circumstances, or consult with your health care practitioner.

As for myself, I thoroughly dislike the flavour of Sydney tap water so I filter our drinking water through an on-the-bench system and use an on-the-tap filter for our cooking requirements. I apply the rule I use when cooking with wine: the better the quality and taste of the ingredients you begin with, the better the end result. I most often forget to take water out with me, so I will drink filtered, bottled spring or mineral water, or if I must, tap water.

For a long journey I like to buy Balance travelling water, which contains spring water with added flower essences said to be beneficial to the traveller. The addition of the essences intrigues me; I feel certain they won’t harm me and they may be useful. I also buy it because my daughter and I love the shape of the bottle. I am aware I could pay far less by buying the flower essences and adding them to my own water, but clearly I am as susceptible to marketing as anyone else.


What water is what?

Natural Mineral Water:
According to European Union standards (2000), mineral waters must be sourced from an underground water table or deposit emerging from a spring tapped at one or more natural or bore exits. They may be still water or aerated and they differ from other waters because:

• They possess a constant level of minerals and trace elements.
• They are not sterile and may contain natural microflora.
• Mineral water is a raw product that may not be treated – for example, disinfected, or have anything added. Exceptions include the removal of iron and sulphur compounds, or of manganese or arsenic. Free carbon dioxide may also be removed by physical methods only.
• This is water in its original state, preserved intact because of the underground origin of the water, which has been protected from all risks of pollution. Its composition must remain stable and must not be affected by possible variations in the rate of flow.
  

The mineral composition of each water depends on the geological layers the water crosses and on the time spent in the ground.

Spring water:
According to Evian, this is classified as underground water, protected against pollution hazards, microbiologically safe, suitable for human consumption without any additional treatment – except those authorised, such as aeration. Spring water is different from natural mineral water as it must match the standards for drinking water. It doesn’t need to have a constant mineral composition.

Purified water or drinking water:
This is classified as water taken from rivers, lakes or underground springs that has undergone some form of treatment.


The International Bottled Water Association states that purified or drinking water can be produced by “distillation, deionisation, reverse osmosis or other suitable processes”. It can be chemically treated in order to have some components disappear. Waters with different components can be mixed. Considering the way it is produced, there is little difference between purified water and municipal tap water, except in the distribution method and retail price.

The International Bottled Water Association also lists three additional categories of bottled waters: artesian water, sparkling water and well water.



Photography: Steven Chee. Styling: Nadene Duncan. Hair & make-up: Kimberley Forbes.