Minerals in drinking water: why they are important

Reading time: ~9 minutes

Water is more than just H2O. Every glass of tap water contains dissolved minerals that determine how healthy and how tasty the water is. Yet few people know what minerals these are and why they matter, especially if you're filtering your water. In this guide, we explain it clearly, with figures from authoritative sources and without scaremongering.

1. What minerals are in drinking water?

According to the Drinkwaterplatform, the taste of drinking water is primarily determined by the amount of minerals: sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The four most important ones:

• Calcium (Ca): the most common mineral in tap water. Important for bones, teeth, and blood clotting.
• Magnesium (Mg): needed for muscles, nerves, and energy metabolism. Many people get just enough of it through food.
• Potassium (K): plays a role in blood pressure and fluid balance. Present in small quantities in water.
• Sodium (Na): present in low concentrations. Too much sodium is undesirable, which is an issue with softened water (see below).

2. Why are minerals in water important?

Minerals in water have two types of benefits: for your health and for the taste.

Health

Calcium and magnesium are essential minerals. The Dutch Nutrition Centre states that both tap water and mineral water contain minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and sodium. You mainly get these minerals from food, but water provides a supplementary amount. Those who drink a lot of water therefore get a non-negligible amount.

Taste

Minerals largely determine how water tastes. Water with a healthy amount of calcium and magnesium tastes full and fresh. Completely demineralized water (like pure RO water), on the other hand, tastes flat, which many people perceive as "bare" or "dead" water.

3. How many minerals does Dutch tap water provide?

Dutch tap water naturally contains a decent amount of minerals. The exact content varies by region and drinking water source: Evides explains that drinking water contains various minerals and salts, depending on its origin. As a concrete benchmark: the Dutch Nutrition Centre mentions about 5 mg of calcium per 100 ml of tap water. Tap water thus provides a supplementary part of your daily calcium and magnesium intake.

Where you live matters: in parts of the South and East of the Netherlands, the water is harder (more minerals), while in Amsterdam, for example, it is relatively soft. If you want to know how hard your water is, read our guide on hard water in the Netherlands.

4. Hard water, soft water, and minerals

Water hardness is simply a measure of the amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium. Hard water contains many of these minerals, soft water few. Both have advantages and disadvantages:

• Hard water: mineral-rich and full-flavored, but causes limescale on taps, in kettles, and in appliances.
• Soft water: less limescale, but also fewer minerals. Naturally soft water is fine; artificially softened water (via a softener) contains more sodium.

Important: limescale (calcium) is not a contaminant but a healthy mineral. Limescale is only a practical nuisance, not a health problem. If you want to tackle limescale without losing minerals, read filtering limescale from tap water.

5. What do water filters do to minerals?

This is key for those who filter their water: not every method deals with minerals in the same way.

Activated carbon filter (retains minerals)

An activated carbon filter, such as an inline under-sink filter, removes contaminants like chlorine, PFAS, and heavy metals, but largely leaves dissolved minerals intact. So you're left with healthy, mineral-rich water.

Reverse osmosis (removes minerals)

A reverse osmosis system pushes water through a fine membrane and blocks almost everything, including healthy calcium and magnesium. The result is very pure but flat-tasting water. Better RO systems therefore add minerals back through a remineralization step.

Water softener (replaces minerals with sodium)

A water softener exchanges calcium and magnesium for sodium. You solve limescale problems, but lose healthy minerals and gain sodium, which is undesirable for those monitoring their salt intake. Softened water is therefore not ideal as drinking water.

6. Comparison table: minerals per method

7. PureFilter Mineral+: preserving and supplementing minerals

The PureFilter Mineral+ is specially designed to combine the best of both worlds: clean and mineral-rich water. The filter removes over 100 contaminants (including PFAS, chlorine, microplastics, and heavy metals) via an activated carbon block, and then adds calcium, magnesium, and potassium to the water using Swedish Mineral Rock™ technology.

This gives you water that is not only pure but also tastes full and fresh and contributes to your daily mineral intake, unlike reverse osmosis or a softener. The filter is NSF 42, 53, 61, and 372 certified, installs in 5 to 10 minutes without a plumber, and one cartridge lasts 15,000 to 20,000 liters.

8. Frequently asked questions about minerals in drinking water

9. Conclusion

Minerals make drinking water healthier and tastier. Calcium, magnesium, and potassium contribute to your body and to a full, fresh taste, and Dutch tap water naturally provides a useful amount of them. Therefore, be aware of what your filtering method does to those minerals: reverse osmosis and a water softener remove them, while a good carbon filter retains them.

If you want to be sure: the PureFilter Mineral+ removes over 100 contaminants and, via Swedish Mineral Rock™, specifically adds calcium, magnesium, and potassium. This way, you drink water that is both clean and mineral-rich. Want to know more? Compare the options on best water filter.