Is Essentia water good for you? It is clean, safe water, in our view, but not a better kind of water: Essentia’s 2024 lab report shows purified city water with no detectable lead or arsenic, a pH of 9.68 and small amounts of added sodium and potassium. The claims that its high pH hydrates you better rest mainly on one study that Essentia paid for, and your stomach acid neutralizes the pH within moments of drinking it.
Below is what Essentia is made of, what its lab numbers show, what the research really says about alkaline water, and when it is worth the price.
What is Essentia water made of?
Essentia is purified water, not spring water. Its water quality report says the bottling plants “procure water from municipal water systems” and treat it in three stages: micron filtration, activated carbon, then reverse osmosis, which leaves the water under 10 ppm dissolved solids. Essentia then adds “potassium, magnesium, calcium and sodium” in trace amounts for taste, and runs an ionization step that raises the pH to 9.5 or higher.
Nestlé USA has owned Essentia since buying it in March 2021, alongside Perrier, Acqua Panna and S.Pellegrino.
Is Essentia water good for you, according to its lab report?
On safety, yes. Here are the main results from Essentia’s 2024 water analysis, which Essentia says is an average of samples from all its bottling locations:
| Measure | Essentia 2024 | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 9.68 | None |
| Total dissolved solids | 67.3 mg/L | 500 mg/L |
| Sodium | 15.2 mg/L | None |
| Potassium | 7.2 mg/L | None |
| Magnesium | 1.4 mg/L | None |
| Calcium | Not detected | None |
| Lead, arsenic, mercury | Not detected | 0.005, 0.01, 0.002 mg/L |
| Nitrate (as nitrogen) | 0.066 mg/L | 10 mg/L |
| Bromate | 0.0008 mg/L | 0.01 mg/L |
| Fluoride | Not detected | 1.4 mg/L |
Every regulated substance is far below its limit. The electrolytes are small, though. A full liter gives you about 15 mg of sodium, under 1% of the 2,300 mg daily value on FDA’s nutrition label table, and 7 mg of potassium against a daily value of 4,700 mg. Essentia’s own report calls them “trace amounts for taste.” Compare Evian, which has 81 mg/L of calcium and 26 mg/L of magnesium; see our Evian review.
Does the high pH make Essentia healthier?
Not in any way that is proven, in our reading of the research.
The main study behind the hydration claim is a 2016 trial in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. One hundred healthy adults exercised until dehydrated, then drank either Essentia or Dasani. Blood viscosity, a measure of how thick the blood is, dropped by 6.30% with Essentia against 3.36% with Dasani. The paper states it “was supported by a grant from Essentia Water,” which also supplied the water, and one author reported “consulting fees and stock options from Essentia Water.” It measured blood thickness over two hours, not health outcomes.
On bigger claims, the evidence is thin. A 2016 systematic review in BMJ Open found “almost no actual research” on alkaline water and cancer and concluded that promoting it to the public for cancer prevention or treatment was unwarranted. Your stomach is strongly acidic, so a pH of 9.68 does not survive the trip, and your kidneys and lungs keep blood pH in a tight range whatever you drink. Our guide on whether alkaline water is good for you covers the full debate, and our RO vs alkaline water comparison shows how close the two are.
Essentia’s marketing has also been challenged in court. A 2018 class action in federal court in New York (Kennedy v. Essentia Water, 18-cv-5257) alleged that phrases such as “overachieving H2O” and “Ionized Hydration” imply better hydration without good evidence. A lawsuit is an allegation, not a finding.
Is it safe to drink Essentia water every day?
Yes, for healthy people. It meets FDA bottled water standards, and its sodium is low enough to be meaningless for most diets. FDA’s enforcement database shows one recall: in October 2014, the bottler Nature’s Way Purewater Systems recalled Essentia 1.5 L, 1 L and 20 oz bottles in 17 states because the “product may contain mold.” It was a Class II recall and is marked terminated. We found no later recall.
People on a sodium-restricted or potassium-restricted diet for kidney or heart conditions should check with their doctor about any water with added electrolytes, even small amounts.
What we would buy for this job
- Essentia Ionized Alkaline Water, 1 liter, pack of 12: about $1.66 a liter when we checked. Clean purified water with a smooth taste; buy it for the taste, not for health claims.
As an Amazon Associate, Complete Water Guide earns from qualifying purchases. Prices change, so check the listing.
Does Essentia have PFAS?
Consumer Reports’ 2020 bottled water tests put Essentia in its group of still waters with PFAS under 1 part per trillion; CR did not publish an exact figure for it. Essentia’s 2024 report does not list a PFAS panel. Reverse osmosis removes most PFAS, which is why purified brands tend to test low. Our page on whether Essentia has PFAS has more.
What are the downsides of Essentia?
- Price. A 12-pack of 1 liter bottles was $19.94 on Amazon when we checked in November 2026, about $1.66 a liter.
- The pH fades. Amazon’s listing itself says “9.5+ pH until opened.” Once the bottle is open, carbon dioxide from the air slowly pulls the pH down.
- No fluoride. The report lists it as not detected, while CDC recommends about 0.7 mg/L in community water for children’s teeth.
- Plastic. Plastic bottles shed tiny particles; our guide to microplastics in bottled water covers the studies.
- Not a sports drink. For long, sweaty sessions you lose far more sodium than Essentia adds back; see our guide to electrolyte water brands.
Is Essentia better than Evian or Dasani?
On safety, all three are clean. Essentia and Dasani are both purified city water with small amounts of minerals added; Essentia adds more sodium and potassium and raises the pH. Evian is spring water with far more natural calcium and magnesium. If you like Essentia’s smooth taste, it is a fine choice; if you want minerals, Evian gives more. Our Dasani review, our ranking of purified water brands and the safest bottled water brands list compare them in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Is Essentia water good for you?
It is clean and safe: its 2024 lab report shows no detectable lead or arsenic and every regulated substance far under its limit. Its claims of better hydration rest mostly on a study Essentia funded.
Is Essentia a healthy water to drink?
Yes, as plain hydration. Its electrolytes are trace amounts, about 15 mg of sodium per liter, so it adds little beyond the water itself.
Is it safe to drink Essentia water every day?
Yes, for healthy people. People on sodium or potassium limits for kidney or heart conditions should ask their doctor first.
What is the pH of Essentia water?
Essentia’s 2024 analysis measured pH 9.68. The label promises 9.5 or higher until the bottle is opened.
Is Essentia just tap water?
It starts as municipal water, then goes through micron filtration, carbon, reverse osmosis, added electrolytes and ionization.
Who owns Essentia water?
Nestlé USA bought Essentia in March 2021. The company is based in Bothell, Washington, and bottles at several plants using local city water.
Sources
- Essentia Water, Water Quality Report and 2024 Water Analysis Report, checked November 3, 2026.
- Weidman J, et al. Effect of electrolyzed high-pH alkaline water on blood viscosity in healthy adults. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2016.
- Fenton TR, Huang T. Systematic review of the association between dietary acid load, alkaline water and cancer. BMJ Open, 2016.
- U.S. FDA food enforcement database: recall F-0615-2015, searched November 3, 2026.
- Nestlé, Nestlé acquires Essentia, March 5, 2021.
- Kennedy v. Essentia Water, LLC, Case No. 18-cv-5257 (E.D.N.Y.), via Truth in Advertising.
- Consumer Reports, What’s Really in Your Bottled Water?, September 24, 2020.
- U.S. FDA, Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels; CDC fluoridation recommendation of 0.7 mg/L.
- Amazon listing and price checked November 3, 2026.
