Sweet spot of impurity type and concentration as well as pricing

[Howard]

What makes water taste better? I don't think that ultrapure water is the best tasting water, but do we know what makes people's tongues tick? What kind of impurities should be in the water, and how much? And how much can each bottle cost before the point of diminishing returns is met?

 

[bobsmith1492]

Calcium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride - all good salts off the top of my head.

Whatever is in my parents' well water is the best stuff, though.

 

[CycloWizard]

Good tasting water has a lot of stuff in it, usually in very small quantities, mostly metals and salts. Most bottled water is filtered to remove these things, then add them back in in slightly altered quantities to adjust the taste. Bottom line is that bottled water is usually tap water with slightly altered solute concentrations (though some don't change it at all - it's literally straight from the tap).

 

[canis]

Good tasting water has a lot of stuff in it, usually in very small quantities, mostly metals and salts. Most bottled water is filtered to remove these things, then add them back in in slightly altered quantities to adjust the taste. Bottom line is that bottled water is usually tap water with slightly altered solute concentrations (though some don't change it at all - it's literally straight from the tap).

Not all bottled water is from tap. What bottled water is from tap without filteration?