Kombucha’s ingredient list is famously simple. And yet, each of those ingredients carries a modern backstory that’s anything but.
We live in a world where tea may be chemically decaffeinated, sugar may be refined beyond recognition, and water, our most essential building block, may arrive carrying contaminants, additives, and controversy. That doesn’t mean we panic. It means we learn.
Education has always been the antidote to confusion. When we understand what matters, and what doesn’t, we brew with confidence instead of fear. So take a breath, step under that cold shower of truth, and let’s talk about water. It turns out… it’s mostly just fine. With a few caveats.
Let’s dive in.
Water isn’t just a solvent. It’s the environment your culture lives in.
Just as regional water affects the flavor of pizza dough in New York or sourdough in San Francisco, the mineral content, treatment method, and cleanliness of your water can influence both the health of your SCOBY and the taste of your brew. Kombucha cultures are resilient, but they are also alive. Certain things help them thrive. Others slow them down or stress them out.
The single most important rule is simple:
Remove chlorine and disinfectants before brewing.
Everything else is optimization.
Water is life. Which is exactly why how we treat it matters. And listen, we’re not here to radicalize you against modern industry… We understand how essential to our way of life it is… but we absolutely want to impress upon you the importance of being excellent stewards of our planet and the resources that sustain us.
Municipal tap water in most developed countries is regulated and generally safe to drink. That said, “safe for humans” and “ideal for fermentation” are not the same thing.
Modern water systems contend with:
Add in regional differences, and it’s easy to see why water quality varies so widely.
If you’re curious about your local supply, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes a publicly searchable water database that breaks down contaminants by zip code. Take a look at your area to gain a greater understanding of ways that you can curate your own water to account for any specific contaminants before you start brewing.
Chlorine (and its more stable cousin, chloramine) is added to drinking water to kill harmful pathogens. This has saved countless lives worldwide. It’s also antimicrobial by design, which makes it less than ideal for Kombucha brewing or any other type of fermentation since, well, these processes rely on the ancient wisdom of living microbial cultures.
Chlorine can:
Good news: Chlorine is easy to remove.
Water fluoridation remains one of the most debated public health topics of the last century.
What we can say confidently:
For Kombucha specifically, fluoride is not helpful, but it is also not the primary concern for fermentation success. Chlorine is the bigger issue. If you choose to remove fluoride for personal reasons, that’s a separate decision and one many brewers make for household health, not just Kombucha.
Tea itself naturally contains small amounts of fluoride, but those levels are known, consistent, and very different from systemic exposure via drinking water which, in some areas, can more closely mimic the therapeutic levels that might be found in laboratory settings.
This is where modern water conversations get understandably tense.
Microplastics and PFAS (“forever chemicals”) have been detected in water supplies worldwide, including bottled water. Current research suggests:
What’s important to say clearly:
For Kombucha brewing, these contaminants do not directly affect fermentation, but many brewers choose higher-quality water for overall wellness and peace of mind. After all, plastic is a product of the petrochemical industry and there are countless studies demonstrating the negative impacts that continued exposure to petrochemicals can have on both the environment and our own bodies.
For most brewers, this is more than sufficient. Think: your friendly, accessible Brita filter… inexpensive to get and maintain, great bang for your buck, and peace of mind for yourself, your family, and your brew.
If using RO, remineralization is recommended. We believe that water does more than just hydrate… we believe that it carries information. And the minerals present in water are necessary components to maintaining a healthy body. If you opt for an RO system (like the ones found at AquaTru which Kombucha Mamma uses in her own kitchen) there are remineralization tanks that you can use as well as other more accessible ways of adding back in the vital mineral content that water should carry.
Useful, but rarely necessary for Kombucha. (If you’re like us, you might have been led to believe that distilled water can “leach” minerals from your body if drank regularly. As it turns out, this is a myth and entirely untrue. Learn more about that here.)
If you’re brewing on a budget or traveling:
Use the water you already drink whenever possible. Kombucha shouldn’t require a laboratory to make and certainly doesn’t require purchasing any special equipment for creating “perfect” water. You can keep your process as accessible or make it as scientifically complicated as you’d like… whatever makes fermentation a joy and not a hassle!
Some brewers enjoy playing music for their cultures. Others label jars with affirmations. Masaru Emoto’s work on water crystals captured imaginations worldwide, though his methods remain scientifically disputed.
Does intention change fermentation outcomes in measurable ways? Who knows?
Does care, attention, and joy improve the brewing experience? Absolutely.
And sometimes, that’s enough.
Kombucha isn’t just made with water. It pairs best with it.
Because Kombucha supports natural detox pathways, adequate hydration matters. Drinking small amounts of Kombucha diluted in water:
A favorite KKamp ritual:
2–4 oz Kombucha in a tall glass of water, first thing in the morning.
Hydrate first. Ferment second.
👉 Learn more about the Health Benefits of Kombucha
👉 Kombucha Side Effects & The Healing Crisis (Herxheimer Reaction Explained)
The best water for brewing Kombucha is dechlorinated water. This can be filtered tap water, spring water, or well water, as long as chlorine or chloramine has been removed. Chlorine is antimicrobial and can stress or slow the fermentation culture.
Yes, tap water can be used if it is properly dechlorinated. Letting water sit uncovered for 24 hours, boiling it briefly, or using a carbon filter are all effective ways to remove chlorine before brewing.
Filtered water is recommended but not strictly required. Filtration improves consistency, flavor, and culture health by removing chlorine and improving taste, but many successful brews have been made with treated tap water.
Distilled water is safe, but not ideal on its own. Because it contains no minerals, fermentation may be sluggish. If using distilled water, adding minerals back (via tea, mineral drops, or blending with filtered water) can improve results.
Yes, but RO water should ideally be remineralized. Reverse osmosis removes nearly all dissolved minerals, which can affect fermentation strength and flavor if not replaced.
Sometimes. Bottled water varies widely. Some brands are simply filtered tap water, while others contain added minerals. Bottled water can work, but it is less sustainable and not always more consistent than filtered tap water.
Fluoride does not appear to significantly impact fermentation, but many brewers choose to remove it for personal health reasons. Chlorine is a much greater concern for Kombucha cultures than fluoride.
Current research does not show a direct effect on fermentation. However, some brewers choose higher-quality filtration to reduce overall exposure for personal wellness reasons. Scientific understanding in this area is still evolving.
You can:
All are effective at removing chlorine for brewing.
Yes. Kombucha is best enjoyed alongside adequate hydration. Drinking water helps support digestion and reduces discomfort, especially for new drinkers or those sensitive to fermented foods.
Yes. Just like coffee or tea, water mineral content can subtly influence flavor, mouthfeel, and fermentation speed. This is normal and part of what makes homebrewed Kombucha unique.
Kombucha has survived centuries with far less pristine conditions than most of us brew in today. With a little awareness, your water is more than good enough.
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