The Royals Are Drinking *This* Water (And It's Not Cheap)--How To DIY

At Peaceful Dumpling HQ, we never tire of coverage of the English royal family. It’s our guilty pleasure to be at once fascinated and perplexed by the goings on of the Queen, Meghan Markle, Kate, and company. While info on the royals’ drinking water of choice may not be as juicy as Meghan’s makeup routine or even the much-anticipated elderflower wedding cake, I was still curious when I saw that The Food Network was covering the topic.

According to the site, “It should come as no surprise that the royal family doesn’t down any old tap water. HRH and company prefer Hildon Natural Mineral Water from the Test Valley in the UK, for their hydration needs … The company has been supplying the royal household with drinking water for years and last year was granted a Royal Warrant, ‘a highly-prized seal of approval’ from the crown.”

Hildon water is bottled at the source in the Hampshire countryside in southern England and has garnered a host of accolades, in addition to the Royal Warrant, including the Restaurant Magazine Award (five years in a row). As you can imagine, these classy glass bottles are not cheap–like $60-for-a-12-pack not cheap.

While all of us deserve clean, tasty, healthy water, not everyone can fork over $5 for an 11-oz bottle every time we’re thirsty (that adds up fast). Furthermore, although glass is certainly a better alternative to plastic, it’s in everyone’s best interest to reduce packaging of all varieties. (However, as someone who has lived in a city with multiple instances of contaminated, unsafe water, I’m not knocking bottled water in emergencies.)

Fortunately, there are cost-effective ways to take your tap water up a notch–in terms of both cleanliness and taste. If you’d like to drink water that tastes as fresh as the English countryside (yes, please!) and desire drinking–and cooking–water that’s free of as many contaminants as possible (from bacteria and viruses to traces of pharmaceuticals to microplastics), there is a way–for a much more reasonable cost investment, too! You will just need two things.

How to Give Your Drinking Water the Royal Touch

1. Chic reuseable water bottle.

Chances are you already have your own reusable glass or steel water bottle. If not, it’s quite easy to find a beautiful and functional water bottle that will be your friend for life.

I’ve used the same bkr glass water bottle for nearly five years.

2. Home water filter.

Next, you will need a home water filter. While it’s often possible to install a system-wide filter in your home, for those of us who rent or are simply on a tighter budget, a stand-alone filter for your kitchen that will supply you with drinking and cooking water will be far more feasible. There is an increasing number of options for these on the market. The following are just a few. Before purchasing a water filter, please make sure to do thorough research on your own as each system is a little different.

Zen Water Countertop Filtration

This budget-friendly, BPA-free option mineralizes, alkalizes, and helps purify tap water of chlorine and bacteria. (Be careful if your kitchen gets a lot of natural light, however; this filter can develop algae.)

Berkey Water Filter

This system is one of the most powerful on the market.  The innovative filter removes pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites entirely while also extracting harmful chemicals including herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, organic solvents, radon 222, and trihalomethanes. It also reduces nitrates, nitrites, lead, and mercury. You can also purchase fluoride filters if you desire.

Waterwise 4000 Countertop Distiller

This compact water distiller offers clean water at maximum convenience and reliably removes VOCs, bacteria, parasites, herbicides, pesticides, and heavy metals. This may be an especially good option if you’re low on counter space.

So maybe priming a carbon filter isn’t the most glamorous activity–and it certainly doesn’t compare to sourcing your water from a picturesque babbling brook–but using a countertop filter is an environmentally friendlier way to ensure you have clean, great-tasting water sans disposable plastic bottle. And it certainly pays for itself. Cheers!

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Photo: Kensington Royal via Instagram, Respective brands