We think a lot about how much water we drink. But perhaps we should also think more about where it comes from.
Splendor Water brought together four voices from the worlds of water, medicine, nutrition and wellness for a conversation about “Live Water” exploring what happens to water on its journey from source to bottle, what it naturally contains, and why its origins matter.
Joining Sara Couch our General Manager of Splendor Water USA were Candice Barry, water sommelier and Chief Storyteller for Water, Dr. Kshamica Nimalasuriya, a functional and preventive medicine physician at Bubby Health and Paul Kriegler, RD, Director of Nutritional Products at Lifetime Fitness.
The conversation went beyond the familiar question of whether we are drinking enough. Instead, it asked us to consider the water itself: its source, its natural mineral composition, how it is handled and, ultimately, what makes one water different from another.
What Do We Mean by Live Water?
At Splendor, Live Water describes water that stays as close as possible to its natural state from source to bottle - preserving the characteristics it develops naturally underground rather than heavily processing or reconstructing the water afterwards.
It begins with origin.
Splendor comes from an artesian aquifer in La Maná, Ecuador, near Cotopaxi. Rain and water move slowly through layers of ancient volcanic rock, naturally filtering and mineralizing the water over time.
The result is water with a naturally low total dissolved solids level of 31 mg/L, alongside naturally occurring calcium, magnesium and potassium, as well as trace amounts of colloidal gold and silver.
For us, Live Water is ultimately about respecting that journey rather than trying to recreate it.
Source Is Only the Beginning
What happens to water after it reaches the surface matters too.
During the panel, Sara explained that Splendor's approach extends beyond simply sourcing water from a natural aquifer.
“Beyond just bottling water from a natural spring, natural source, with no chemical treatment or processing, we go the extra mile to essentially, throughout our piping system, emulate the movement of a natural spring down to the bottle itself.”
The aim is to handle the water with as little intervention as possible while moving it from source to bottle.
Even the bottle has a role to play. Splendor's blue glass bottle is more than just an amazing color – it is thoughtfully designed to help protect the water from heat and light as it travels from source to shelf.
It is a considered approach to something most of us rarely think about: what happens to water between the moment it leaves its source and the moment we drink it.
Hydration Is More Than a Number
The panel also looked at hydration through the lens of nutrition, exercise, and everyday health.
Paul Kriegler highlighted the relationship between fluid and minerals, particularly in the context of physical activity and recovery.
“Make sure that fluid is also providing the necessary minerals to instruct that fluid to go where it needs to go in the body.”
The broader takeaway was simple: hydration starts with drinking enough water, while the composition of that water can be another consideration depending on the individual, their activity and their needs.
Dr. Kshamica brought the conversation back to what we already know about hydration and health.
“So many body processes that we have, like temperature regulation, waste removal, the kidneys are highly dependent on hydration.”
There is growing interest in areas such as water structure and vibration, but the science in these areas is still developing. For now, the established conversation around water remains centered on fundamentals including hydration, purity, mineral composition and how well people tolerate and enjoy the water they drink.
You Can Taste a Sense of Place
There is another way to understand source: through taste.
Candice explained that the mineral composition of water can influence its sensory character.
“The more minerals you find in water, the more significant the taste, and the lower the minerals, the more subtle it is. So one is, in fact, not better than another.”
That distinction is important.
Water does not have to taste the same everywhere. The minerals it encounters, the geology beneath the source and its journey through the earth can all contribute to its character.
For Splendor, that sense of place is part of what makes the water special. It is water from somewhere not simply water that has been made to fit a specification.
A Different Way to Think About Water
Perhaps the most interesting takeaway from the conversation was how closely this mirrors the way we already think about food.
We ask where our food comes from. We look at the ingredients. We consider how something has grown, been made, or processed.
Why shouldn't we apply some of that curiosity to water?
At Splendor, we believe the story of water begins long before it reaches the bottle. It begins with its source, its journey through the earth and the minerals it naturally encounters along the way.
Live Water is our way of bringing that story to the surface and inviting people to think differently about one of the most fundamental things we consume every day.
Because hydration is essential.
But where your water comes from matters too.
Hydrate Your Soul.