Water Sommelier Discusses the Quality of Refill Water Sold in South African Grocery Stores

• A Johannesburg-based water sommelier has raised awareness about the quality of refill water sold at grocery stores across South Africa
• She highlights that while refilled water is purified, it often lacks naturally occurring minerals, which can impact its taste and nutritional value
• The sommelier advises consumers to be proactive and ask stores about water testing results, filtration systems, and mineralisation to ensure better quality

A Johannesburg-based water sommelier has sparked conversation online after sharing insights about the quality of refill water sold at grocery stores across South Africa.

Speaking from Sandton, she explained in a video that she posted on 22 August 2025 under the TikTok handle @watersomm that while many consumers see it as an affordable option costing around R5 for 5 litres, the real value lies in understanding what is in the water.

“People are paying about R1 per litre,” she said, adding that the water usually comes from multiple sources and is purified through different technologies depending on the retailer.

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“Generally, it’s purified water that may or may not be treated with a UV blue light, which helps to disinfect and kill viruses or bacteria," @watersomm in the clip.

However, @watersomm emphasised that purification also removes naturally occurring minerals.

“These waters are purified to nothing. There are no nutritional benefits in terms of minerals,” she explained.

To address this, she advised consumers to consider “remineralising your water” at home to restore some of the lost health benefits.

The sommelier also encouraged South Africans to be proactive when purchasing refill water by adding:

“You should be asking your store for the testing results, how often they change filters, whether it’s UV treated, and if the water has been mineralised,” she said.

While refill water is “cleaner than tap water,” the quality varies greatly depending on the filtration systems in use, @watersomm shared. Without minerals, she added, the water tends to taste flat.

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“It’s going to taste like nothing if there are no minerals. You might want to buy from a place that mineralises the water for you.”

Her advice comes at a time when more South Africans are turning to refill stations as a cost-effective alternative to bottled water. The TikTok video gained massive traction, sparking a conversation online.

SA weighs in on water issue

The online community took to the comments section to share their thoughts on the water crisis, saying:

Justinncube said:

"Drinking water has never been this complicated."

MetaStable95 added:

"Lately, the water shop water isn't tasting so lekker. It tastes and smells a bit more like chlorine."

Tania Gumede shared:

"The Checkers water, I stopped buying when I could see that they looked brownish and tasted horrible. I prefer Oasis water."

Welovedream commented:

"I’d rather just get it purified than tap water at this point. I’ll get my minerals from my vitamins."

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Watch the video below:

More on the water crisis in South Africa

• Briefly News reported that the people living in Hammanskraal are now so desperate that they are even thinking of drinking the tainted water again.
• Many homeowners are uncertain if they will continue to obtain the valuable resource as the City of Johannesburg's (CoJ) water problems get worse.
• The nation's supply has been impacted by mismanagement, climate change, ageing infrastructure, and a lack of upkeep for freshwater resources and systems.

Source: Briefly News