How to Properly Taste Water, According to a Certified Water Sommelier

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What makes water “water”?

Though the answer to that question might feel obvious at first glance (chemical formula, H20; origin, literally everywhere), we all have at least a vague sense that water is more meaningful than a daily necessity. For a certified water sommelier, that meaning can be quantified and qualified down to the last drop. An expert might describe liquid with words like alkaline, glacial, artesian and mineral-rich, or measure it by way of TDS, PHAs, nitrate levels and radon. Some of these phrases might ring a bell, even if they’ve only been encountered in other contexts. Most terms, however, are all but inscrutable to the everyday drinker.

We asked Preston Douglas Boyer for a splash of insight.

Boyer is the founder of Liquid Life Wellness Water, a media platform dedicated entirely to the future of water, and is the host of the Liquid Life podcast. Noted for his deep knowledge of mineral water, source sustainability, water culture and wellness, Boyer is one of several water sommeliers helping drinkers reappraise and better appreciate what’s inside their glass.

Alongside his work in the water industry, Boyer maintains an active contemporary art practice spanning painting, sculpture, and installation, with exhibitions and projects across Los Angeles, New York, London, Houston and Washington D.C.

Preston Douglas Boyer

Here’s what Boyer had to say:

Start With Your Source

Most people decide their water is “good” or “bad” based on taste. That is understandable, but it is simply not enough. Just because it comes out of the tap does not mean it’s the best water to be consuming!

If your water comes from a public system, the smartest first step is to read the annual Consumer Confidence Report required by the EPA, which explains where your water comes from and what was detected in the previous year.

If you are on a private well, no utility will do that homework for you; the responsibility is yours. Annual testing matters especially for well owners. EPA and the CDC both recommend testing private wells at least yearly for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids, and pH, with extra testing based on local risks, flooding, repairs, pregnancy, or changes in taste, color, or smell. Even if you are on city water, a sudden change in flavor or odor is a reason to look closer rather than guess.

What a TDS Meter Actually Tells You

A handheld TDS meter is one of the easiest first tools to keep around the house. But it helps to know what it is really measuring. As the USGS explains, total dissolved solids are commonly tracked through specific conductance: the more dissolved ions in the water, the better it conducts electricity. The Specialty Coffee Association puts it even more plainly: a TDS meter is basically an electrical conductivity meter that converts that reading into parts per million. In other words, it gives you a fast estimate of how much dissolved material is in the water, not a full lab report.

That still makes TDS useful. Many of the dissolved substances that shape taste and mouthfeel are mineral ions such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, and sulfate. Some of those are electrolytes, which NIH’s MedlinePlus defines as minerals in body fluids, and magnesium in tap, mineral, and bottled waters can vary widely by source. So when you watch a TDS number move, you are often watching part of the mineral story move with it.

Why High TDS Is Not Automatically Bad

This is where people get tripped up. A high TDS number does not necessarily mean bad water. EPA’s 500 mg/L number for total dissolved solids is a secondary standard, not a health-based federal limit. Secondary standards are mainly about taste, odor, color, and other aesthetic issues, and the World Health Organization likewise says it does not set a health-based guideline value for TDS itself. That means TDS is a clue about water character, not a verdict on safety.

That distinction matters even more with natural spring and mineral waters. The FDA says mineral water must come from an underground source and contain at least 250 ppm TDS from minerals that come from the source itself. Federal bottled-water rules also exempt mineral water from the 500 mg/L TDS allowable level because that threshold is aesthetic, not a health concern. So if you test a spring or mineral water and it reads high, that may simply mean it is rich in calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate, and other naturally dissolved minerals that give it personality.

I am personally a big fan and supporter of very high mineral content waters such as Gerolsteiner and Lava Hot Springs Inn Mineral Water, which are in the 750 – 1000 TDS range!

What TDS Will Never Tell You

A TDS meter is useful precisely because it is limited. The Specialty Coffee Association notes that it will not tell you what is in your water, only that some amount of dissolved material is there. NSF makes the same point from another angle on lead filtration: minerals and TDS do not indicate the presence or absence of lead. Low-TDS water can still be a problem, and high-TDS water can still be perfectly fine, depending on what the dissolved solids actually are. This is also why chlorine, chloramines, and trace contaminants need their own testing strategy.

NSF/ANSI 42 treats chlorine, chloramine, taste and odor, and TDS as separate reduction claims, while CDC lists entirely different treatment approaches for problems like nitrate, PFAS, and radon. If you want to know what you are actually putting in your body, not just whether your water is hard or soft, a mail-in lab panel is worth it. TapScore is one example: it sells certified-lab kits for city and well water, including panels that cover metals, minerals, and chlorine-related byproducts, and it says samples are analyzed through a network of certified labs.

A Practical Way to Test Water at Home

For everyday use, the sequence is simple. Start with your water source report if you are on municipal water. If you are on a well, schedule a real lab test at least once a year. Then keep a TDS meter at home and use it as a quick check: test straight tap water, filtered water, and water after your reverse osmosis system. RO systems are specifically certified for TDS reduction, and they are also used to reduce a long list of contaminants. At home, that generally means you do want an RO system to remove most of what is in typical tap water, but only drinking RO water is not in anyone’s best interest.

Although we get minerals from the food we eat and other beverages we drink, I personally would rather drink spring and mineral waters day to day and save RO for coffee, tea, or for mixing electrolytes, where a neutral low-TDS base gives you more control. That logic is familiar in coffee, too: the Specialty Coffee Association specifically describes TDS as a key check on RO permeate water.

Test for what matters, not just what is easy to measure. And, at the end of the day, I’d rather drink an incredible quality living water (a naturally occurring source) in a cheap, plastic bottle than the highest filtered municipal tap water in a fancy glass bottle (watch out Erewhon shoppers!).

Want Us To Test Your Water?

At the end of the day, water is more than just numbers on a meter. Two waters can have the exact same TDS and taste completely different. One can feel smooth and energizing, while another feels flat or overly harsh. That’s because water is an experience. Mineral balance, mouthfeel, carbonation, source, temperature, and even emotional connection all play a role in how we perceive it.

That’s exactly why The Daily Pour is launching the first-ever Water Choice Awards. If you’re a water brand, spring owner, bottler, or distributor and want some of the world’s top water experts to try your water, we’d love to experience it! This is not a scientific safety certification or lab analysis competition. We are not testing for regulatory compliance or making health claims. Instead, this is a fun, culture-driven celebration of water, focusing on taste preference, minerality, mouthfeel, presentation, source story, and overall drinking experience. Think of it more like a wine tasting than a laboratory report.

Still, part of what makes the competition exciting is understanding the character of each water. We love exploring mineral profiles, carbonation styles, TDS levels, source locations, and what makes each water distinct. Some people love ultra-low TDS mountain spring waters. Others gravitate toward bold, highly mineralized sparkling waters that almost drink like a natural electrolyte beverage. There’s no single “perfect” water, and that’s the beauty of it all.