Staying hydrated is a must, especially during the warm summer months. Now, while there are many eco-friendly methods to drink water, whether it be directly from the tap (out of a glass, obviously), buying a filter, or using a reusable bottle, plastic water bottles remain a popular choice for many Canadian consumers.
After testing seven water bottle brands sold across Canada to uncover the true composition of their contents, I figured I would up the ante and introduce fancier brands into the mix. This time around, the question really isn't about water safety or affordability, but whether a "fancy" water brand holds up better than good ol' tap water.
For this water bottle test, I opted for more expensive brands (or those considered more desirable due to packaging and marketing campaigns) including: Fiji, Icelandic, Evian, Perrier, Montellier and San Pellegrino. Oh, and tap water from my Montreal apartment.
Considering how detrimental the effects of single-use plastic are, opting for tap water or a filter and a reusable bottle is always the most environmentally conscious option, but for those who still prefer to carry a bottle of Fiji or love a sparkling water moment, here's the answer to whether it's even worth it.
I Tested 6 Fancy Water Bottle Brands Sold In Canada & There’s One I’ll Never Buy Again #shortsMike Chaar | MTL Blog
In order to figure out which of the bottled waters is superior and whether they are safer than tap water, I used a 16-in-1 water test kit. The tool doesn't just tell you whether your water is potable, but it gives you the entire song and dance. From total chlorine, alkalinity, and the pH level all the way to copper, lead and fluoride contents, it tells you everything you need to know.
I followed the instructions to the T and began the test by submerging the strips into the water bottles and tap water sample with a pair of tweezers for two seconds — I then placed them down to dry for 30 seconds before analyzing the results. Once dried, I compared the strip colours to that of the "acceptable" levels allowed in drinking water provided in the testing kit to see how the six brands of bottled water compare to one another and more importantly, how they compare to tap water.
Since I sampled both still water and sparkling water, I decided to separate the two to keep things as fair as possible, as carbon dioxide added to water in order to make it fizzy can influence the contents, particularly when it comes to the pH level. (Which is to say, we expect a sparkling water to be more acidic.)
After compiling the results, I was stunned… aghast even. While all the samples were totally potable, the best option was a total surprise, and the worst was a real punch to the gut.
Sparkling Water
Perrier, Montellier and San Pellegrino sparkling water.
Perrier, Montellier, San Pellgerino
Perrier – GOOD
A bottle of Perrier sparkling water and a 16-in-1 water test kit.
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
Perrier has always been a fave, particularly the lemon flavour (hack: toss in some lemon slices and a bit of agave syrup and you've got yourself a Sprite). So when it came to testing out the water, I was pleasantly surprised to know that of the three sparkling waters tested, Perrier performed the best.
With some water hardness showing up and 0.5 mg/l of chlorine, Perrier tested perfectly elsewhere. Considering water infused with carbon dioxide creates a more acidic environment, most sparkling waters have poor pH levels, and Perrier's came in at 5.8. (For reference, a pH of 7 is the benchmark.)
Full Results:
- Total hardness: 25 mg/l
- Free chlorine: 0 mg/l
- Iron: 0 mg/l
- Copper: 0 mg/l
- Lead: 0 mg/l
- Nitrate: 10 mg/l
- Total chlorine: 0.5 mg/l
- Fluoride: 0 mg/l
- Total alkalinity: 0 mg/l
- pH level: 5.8
Montellier – OKAY
A bottle of Montellier sparkling water and a 16-in-1 water test kit.
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
Montellier is a lesser-known sparkling water compared to the other two brands yet it held up relatively well. With some water hardness and the presence of chlorine, Montellier scored well in all other areas except nitrate. Luckily, with only 10 mg/l, sparkling water is more than safe to drink. Per Health Canada, the acceptable level of nitrate in drinking water is 45 mg/l. Sadly, this brand doesn't have an ideal pH level – coming in at 5.5
Full Results:
- Total hardness: 25 mg/l
- Free chlorine: 0 mg/l
- Iron: 0 mg/l
- Copper: 0 mg/l
- Lead: 0 mg/l
- Nitrate: 10 mg/l
- Total chlorine: 0.5 mg/l
- Fluoride: 0 mg/l
- Total alkalinity: 0 mg/l
- pH level: 5.5
San Pellegrino - WORSE
The worst of the bunch is none other than San Pellegrino. This was certainly a let down considering San Pell (as I call it) is my absolute fave sparkling water brand. It doesn't burn nearly as much as other brands do and doesn't taste like TV static. Not to mention it's very refreshing, too.
Sadly, its test results were pretty abysmal. It had the highest level of water hardness among the three brands and the presence of some copper. Health Canada states that a concentration of 2 mg/l is the limit when it comes to acceptable levels in drinking water, so San Pell's 0.5 mg/l is hardly anything. However, toss in the 5.5 pH level and San Pell falls at the bottom of the bunch.
Full Results:
- Total hardness: 50 mg/l
- Free chlorine: 0 mg/l
- Iron: 0 mg/l
- Copper: 0.5 mg/l
- Lead: 0 mg/l
- Nitrate: 10 mg/l
- Total chlorine: 0.5 mg/l
- Fluoride: 0 mg/l
- Total alkalinity: 0 mg/l
- pH level: 5.5
Still Water
Evian, Fiji and Icelandic water bottles.
Evian, Fiji, Icelandic
Evian – OKAY
A bottle of Evian water and a 16-in-1 water test kit.
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
Evian is my favourite airport water, the biggest size — this way I can refill it at the airport, or at the hotel and always have a bottle handy for when I feel like I haven't had weeks' worth of water at 3 a.m. Anywhoo. Evian held up pretty well, yet fell at the bottom, and that's including in comparison to tap water.
Evian presented some water hardness and a small amount of chlorine. However, its pH level is stunning. Health Canada says that the ideal pH level for drinking water is between 7 and 10. So, Evian's 7.5 is definitely a plus, just not a big enough plus for it to be the star.
Full Results:
- Total hardness: 25 mg/l
- Free chlorine: 0 mg/l
- Iron: 0 mg/l
- Copper: 0.5 mg/l
- Lead: 0 mg/l
- Nitrate: 0 mg/l
- Total chlorine: 0.5 mg/l
- Fluoride: 0 mg/l
- Total alkalinity: 0 mg/l
- pH level: 7.5
Icelandic Glacial – GOOD
A bottle of Icelandic water and a 16-in-1 water test kit.
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
Icelandic Glacial is perhaps a lesser-known brand of the three still water samples yet it's proving itself to be a great selection. With little chlorine and some copper, Icelandic is a solid choice, especially considering it boasts an 8.3 pH level.
Full Results:
- Total hardness: 0 mg/l
- Free chlorine: 0.5 mg/l
- Iron: 0 mg/l
- Copper: 0.5 mg/l
- Lead: 0 mg/l
- Nitrate: 0 mg/l
- Total chlorine: 0.5 mg/l
- Fluoride: 0 mg/l
- Total alkalinity: 0 mg/l
- pH level: 8.3
Fiji — GREAT
A bottle of Fiji water and a 16-in-1 water test kit.
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
Fiji was just shy of being the winner of this entire water test if it weren't for the small presence of chlorine. According to Health Canada, chlorine concentrations in most Canadian drinking water distribution systems range from 0.04 to 2.0 mg/L, so Fiji's mere 0.5 mg/l is nothing to worry about. Nevertheless, its chlorine concentration was a tad higher than that of…you guessed, tap water.
Full Results:
- Total hardness: 0 mg/l
- Free chlorine: 0.5 mg/l
- Iron: 0 mg/l
- Copper: 0 mg/l
- Lead: 0 mg/l
- Nitrate: 0 mg/l
- Total chlorine: 0.5 mg/l
- Fluoride: 0 mg/l
- Total alkalinity: 0 mg/l
- pH level: 7.7
Tap Water — WINNER
A glass of tap water from a Montreal apartment and a 16-in-1 water test kit.
Mike Chaar | MTL Blog
The winner! Yes, can you believe that the tap water in my region of Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal reigns supreme over big brands such as Fiji, Evian and Icelandic? While no free chlorine was detected, the total chlorine measured 0.5 mg/l, which is practically nothing.
Toss the tap water's impressive 7.6 pH level and this is easily the healthiest, cheapest and most environmentally friendly method of consuming water. In fact, even with pH levels taken out of consideration, tap water still surpassed all of the sparkling waters on the other measures.
Full Results:
- Total hardness: 0 mg/l
- Free chlorine: 0 mg/l
- Iron: 0 mg/l
- Copper: 0 mg/l
- Lead: 0 mg/l
- Nitrate: 0 mg/l
- Total chlorine: 0.5 mg/l
- Fluoride: 0 mg/l
- Total alkalinity: 0 mg/l
- pH level: 7.6
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