Which Bottled Waters Are as Acidic as Soda?

Dr. Pearl E. Whites
3 days ago
4 min read

Is bottled water just as acidic as soda?

Updated September 2026

Our dental practice has a recent uptick in patients who refuse to drink tap water.

The general reason is there are claims of toxins and unwanted minerals in tap water. However, we have also noticed an increase in cavities with several of these patients and have read credible claims that bottled water is just as acidic as sodas.

THE SCIENCE

It is well documented that the streptococcus mutans bacteria are one of the primary creators of cavities in our mouth. They require an acidic environment from 0-5.5pH to do damage. When we brush our teeth with a fluoride toothpaste this creates a shield around our teeth making it more resistant to cavities. This lowers the cavity-inducing threshold to 4.5pH meaning it takes more aggressive acidic environments to cause cavities than the regular 5.5pH without protection.

AVERAGE pH AMONG POPULAR BEVERAGES:

Energy Drinks 3.14pH (i.e. Monster, Rock Star, etc.)
Juices 3.13 pH (i.e. orange juice, Ocean Spray, Minute Maid, etc.)
Sodas 3.15pH (range 2.34 Coca-Cola to A&W Root Beer at 4.27)
Sodas (Diet) 3.44pH (range 3.02 Pepsi Diet to 4.57 A&W Root Beer Diet)
Sports Drinks 2.94pH (i.e. Powerade, Gatorade)

OUR STUDY

Several studies have claimed that bottled water is just as acidic as soda! So we purchased nearly every water bottle brand locally accessible and tested them ourselves with a pH meter to verify these studies. The goal is to only determine what the true acidic levels are in bottled water. Here are the findings:

Variety of water bottle brands tested to determine if bottled water is acidic

testing individual water bottles for pH values

BAD WATER: Any that are Acidic Enough to Cause Cavities

All flavored water is just as acidic as soda

All bottled water that have carbonation or flavoring are just as acidic as soda regardless if the bottle advertises zero sugars or zero calories.

These types of water bottles have a pH range of 3.1-4.2, which are similar to most sodas.

DECENT WATER pH between 5.5-6.49pH

These bottled water brands are acidic but usually do not cause cavities

These waters are just barely above the pH threshold that induce cavities but are still below the EPA national minimum standard of 6.5pH. Interestingly, several of these water bottles are also fabricated by soda companies:

Aquafina by PepsiCo
Dasani by Coca-Cola
Core by Dr. Pepper

Note that NO bottled water brands for regular drinking water (non flavored and non carbonated) were acidic enough to cause cavities. This includes all water sources: spring, purified, mineral, artesian, or well water.

GOOD WATER pH 6.5-7.4pH

A healthy mouth hovers around 7.0-7.4pH. Whenever we eat most foods our mouth drops to acidic levels that cause cavities. Drinking these waters below act similar to what saliva does in preventing cavities and restoring your mouth to the natural healthy balance it needs. Yes, even tap water from our local area is excellent and often times better than bottled water because of added minerals. We endorse any of these brands below and since they are essentially the same, go with the most affordable.

healthy bottled water pH above the cavity threshold

**Smartwater Glaceau, Life WTR, Surfwater Still, Crystal Geyser, Great Value Spring Water, Great Value Nursery Purified Water, Kirkland Purified Water, Central Point tap water, Arrowhead Spring Water, Evian, and Fiji.

EXCELLENT WATER pH >9.0

For those die-hards that want to take bottled water to the next level and don't mind the alkaline taste, here are three bottled waters with pH range from 9.1-10.2. These rapidly restore your mouth to a safer environment of preventing cavities. This study only focuses on cavities from an acidic pH source. There is no added health benefit whether your water is acidic or alkaline since your body digests it anyway. So only drink this water for preventing cavities.

Alkaline bottled water with a pH >9.0 body armor, great value, and smartwater+

CONCLUSION

Generally any bottled water likely will not cause cavities unless it is flavored or carbonated water. There are some bottled water brands that have better water in preventing the formation of cavities and typically the higher pH away from 5.5pH the better the protection. Alkaline water is extremely beneficial for your mouth to prevent cavities but the cost may not justify the protection.

The best way to use water as an anti-cavity source is when finished eating or snacking to drink water at the end. This washes the acids off your teeth and fights cavity formation.

Table:

Red pH that induces cavities

Orange pH that is below the EPA standard

Green pH that is ideal to drink

Blue pH that is extremely alkaline

Water Bottle Brand	Actual pH*
Propel Fitness Water	3.18
Sparkling Ice Lemon Lime	3.21
Crystal Light	3.48
Clear American Cotton Candy	3.78
Surfwater Sparkling	4.21
Most Dental Office Water (Distilled)	5.61
Dasani	5.80
Great Value Distilled Water	5.82
Great Value Purified Water	6.20
Sam's Purified Drinking Water	6.29
Aquafina	6.31
Nestlé Pure Life	6.38
Core Hydration	6.40
Signature Select Refreshe	6.44
Smartwater Glaceau	6.58
Life WTR	6.66
Surfwater Still	6.77
Crystal Geyser	6.80
Great Value Springs Water	6.92
Great Value Nursery Purified Water (for infants)	6.94
Kirkland Purified Water	7.01
Tap Water (from Central Point, OR)	7.05
Arrowhead Spring Water	7.07
Well Water (Grants Pass, OR)	7.07
Evian	7.11
Fiji	7.15
Rain Water (collected in Central Point, OR)	7.41
Great Value Hydrate Alkaline Water	9.14
BodyArmor Sportwater pH9+	9.73
Smartwater+Clarity	10.2