For decades, we have been told to drink eight 8-oz glasses of water each day to stay hydrated. While that may have been useful as a simple rule of thumb, today we know that very few things can be boiled down to one simple solution.
We don’t all need the same amount of water each day. Some days we need more than others, depending on the weather, how active we are, what we are eating, how much we are moving, and even what life throws our way.
So maybe asking “How much water should I drink?” isn’t quite the right question.
Perhaps the better question is: “What water should I drink?”
We take water for granted more than most things we consume. It’s clear, it quenches your thirst, and it’s… water.
But look a little closer and you realize that water can have personality. The source it comes from, what naturally happens to it before it reaches your bottle, how it is treated, what minerals it contains and, ultimately, how it tastes can vary from one water to the next.
We understand this with other things we consume.
We wouldn’t describe wine as “just grapes.” We consider the vineyard it came from, the soil it was grown in, the climate that year, the vintage and how it was made. We talk about the origin of our coffee beans, where our olive oil was harvested and the subtleties of different tea leaves.
We know where something comes from matters and that its origin can influence how it tastes.
Water is no different.
Some waters are higher in minerals, while others are lighter and more delicate. Some are sourced from springs or artesian aquifers, while others go through extensive filtration, treatment and processing. Some are naturally sparkling, while others have carbonation added.
None of these things necessarily make one water right for everyone. But they do help define each water’s individual character.
And that’s what starts to make the hydration conversation interesting.
What Hydration Really Means
At its simplest, hydration means maintaining enough water in the body for normal physiological function.
Water supports some of the body’s most fundamental processes, from regulating temperature and supporting circulation to digestion and the transport of nutrients and waste. Electrolytes — minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium — also play important roles in maintaining fluid balance and supporting normal nerve and muscle function.
That doesn’t mean every bottle of water needs to be loaded with electrolytes. Plain water remains fundamental to everyday hydration, and most of the minerals we need come from the food we eat.
But the mineral composition of water is still interesting.
Because water is not simply H₂O in isolation. Depending on its source and journey, it can contain naturally occurring minerals and trace elements that influence its chemistry, character and taste.
Colloidal Gold & Silver
Gold and silver occur naturally in trace amounts in Splendor’s mineral profile. They are part of what makes the water’s composition distinctive and reflect the unique geological journey the water takes before it reaches the bottle.
For Splendor, these naturally occurring trace elements are part of the story of the source alongside minerals such as calcium, magnesium and potassium rather than something added to the water to artificially enhance it.
It is one more reminder that when you look closely at water, its origin can tell you a lot.
Calcium, Magnesium & Potassium
Calcium, magnesium and potassium are naturally occurring minerals found in many waters, although the amounts can vary considerably depending on the source.
Calcium is best known for its role in maintaining healthy bones and teeth, but it also contributes to normal muscle function, nerve signaling and other essential processes within the body.
Magnesium is involved in hundreds of biochemical reactions and contributes to normal muscle and nerve function, energy production and the regulation of several important processes in the body.
Potassium is an essential electrolyte that helps support normal nerve and muscle function and contributes to maintaining fluid balance within the body.
Water can contribute small amounts of these minerals to our overall intake, but the amount matters. A water’s mineral profile should always be considered in the context of the wider diet rather than treated as a stand-alone source of nutrition.
Why Mineral Composition Matters
Water is the hydrating agent. Minerals do not make water stop being water, nor does the absence of minerals make purified water incapable of hydrating.
What mineral composition can change is the water’s chemistry, taste and the small amount of dietary minerals it contributes.
That’s why the useful questions are quite simple:
Where does the water come from? What is naturally in it? How is it treated? And how does it taste?
Different treatment methods can also create very different waters. Reverse osmosis, distillation, and deionization are designed to remove dissolved substances and can substantially reduce naturally occurring minerals. Other waters retain more of the composition associated with their source.
This isn’t about saying that one approach is universally better than another. It is about understanding the difference between water that has been heavily processed and water that is bottled with a focus on preserving its natural composition.
And once you start paying attention, those differences become much more interesting.
From the Andes to Your Glass
Splendor comes from a single source — an artesian aquifer in La Maná, in the Ecuadorian Andes.
The water begins its journey in the volcanic landscape surrounding Cotopaxi and travels naturally through layers of volcanic rock before reaching the source. Along the way, it acquires its naturally occurring mineral profile, including calcium, magnesium and potassium, as well as trace amounts of gold and silver.
The result is a water with an exceptionally low Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) level of approximately 31 mg/L giving Splendor its characteristically light, clean taste and smooth finish.
Splendor calls this Live Water.
For us, Live Water means preserving what makes the water distinctive at its source rather than stripping it down and attempting to rebuild it afterwards. The focus is on protecting the water’s natural character, from source to bottle.
And then there’s taste.
Taste Matters More Than We Think
Taste might be the most underrated part of hydration.
If the water you drink doesn’t taste good, you’re probably not going to want to drink it. You might remember to drink because you know you should, but it can quickly become another item on the daily checklist.
But what if you genuinely enjoyed your water?
What if the bottle on your desk was something you actually wanted to reach for? What if the water beside your bed felt like part of your evening ritual rather than something you were forcing yourself to finish?
That changes the experience.
Hydration stops feeling like a number to hit or a checklist item to tick off and simply becomes part of your daily routine.
Maybe that’s more useful than counting ounces.
Maybe the answer isn’t another rule telling us exactly how much water we should drink.
Maybe it’s finding water we actually want to drink.
Give Water Some Love
Pay attention to where your water comes from.
Take notice when you take a sip.
Learn what’s naturally in your water and how its source, mineral composition and treatment influence the experience. Find water you love, and let it complement the daily rituals that already make you feel good.
Because water isn’t “just” water.
Sure, at its core, it is.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate water in the same way we appreciate wine, coffee, olive oil, tea and everything in between.
We care about where our food comes from. We care about how our coffee is roasted and how our wine is made.
It’s time we gave water some love too.
Hydrate Your Soul.