The Geology of Water Flavors

Water does not have a flavor of its own. Flavor comes from three main sources, but especially the first: minerals (which come from the rock through which the water flows underground), dissolved organic matter (pine-forested soil, algae, peat bogs, etc.), as well as carbon dioxide (even if the water doesn't come out of the ground still carbonated). Most bottled mineral waters today are shaped by the minerals but carry only traces of organic matter. So, what do the various rocks and organic matter do to the flavor? I'm still working through good waters to illustrate each, but the list below (or the video below) shares a bit of what I'm learning so far.

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Limestone - calcium, bicarbonate - smooth, clean, faintly chalky

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Chalk - calcium, bicarbonate - lighter and softer than limestone

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Dolomite - calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate - crisp, a bit bitter

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Granite - silica, potassium, low everything - light, silky, low TDS

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Quartzite - silica, ultra-low everything - low TDS

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Schist/gneiss - silica, sodium, potassium, trace minerals - similar to granite but varies

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Basalt - silica, magnesium, calcium, iron - silky but more mineral weight

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Volcanic tuff - silica, sodium, potassium, sometimes fluoride - softer profile than basalt

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Serpentinite - magnesium, bicarbonate, low everything else - rare , bitter, dry, clean finish

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Gypsum/evaporite - calcium, sulfate - dry, bitter finish

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Rock salt/halite - sodium, chloride - saline, brackish if high levels

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Volcanic hydrothermal zones - sulfate, bicarbonate, CO₂ - sharp, mineral-forward, naturally carbonated

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Sandstone - silica, trace iron - soft, low mineral weight, metallic if iron-forward

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Peat - humic and fulvic acids - earthy, tea-like, dry or puckering sensation

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Forest soil/root systems - humic acids, tannins - faint earthy or woody note...shallow groundwater in forested regions

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Algae - organic compounds - faint green or vegetal note

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Fulvic acid concentrate - fulvic acids - dark color, earthy, mineral-forward

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Decomposing vegetation/wetland soil - humic acids - musty, flat