Cheap bottled water is a "scam" and people should just drink from the tap where possible, an expert has said. <br /><br />Milin Patel is a qualified water sommelier and the self-styled 'Willy Wonka of natural water'.<br /><br />He says that, contrary to popular belief, the public should drink from the tap and not splash out on cheap bottles.<br /><br />And Milin, 41, claims that cheap products which have 'added electrolytes' should be completely avoided.<br /><br />He claimed: "Any water like that comes from the tap is boiled to remove the natural electrolytes.<br /><br />"Then they put back in manmade electrolytes - but less than it started with.<br /><br />"Generally anything marketed that way is a huge scam. It's just tap water for quadruple the price. It uses a lot of energy too."<br /><br />Milin, from Hampton Court, south-west London, has been passionate about water for 20 years.<br /><br />He launched the capital's - and possibly the country's - first dedicated water shop in nearby Fulham last year.<br /><br />Milin, aged in his 40s, qualified as sommelier in 2020 and says he has collaborated with Water Aid on projects.<br /><br />He said: "I've always had a deep passion for water - it's my life and I want to show others how to appreciate it.<br /><br />"I was always taught water is just water and it's all the same - but that's not true at all.<br /><br />"There are so many different factors that make a water unique.<br /><br />"We should respect its source and give it the same value and respect as we do spirits and fine wine."<br /><br />Milin's shop, Fine Liquids, sells a wide range of products.<br /><br />The most expensive is a 750ml bottle for £120: APSU Origin Water, from Patagonia.<br /><br />The extreme price is justified by its origins, coming from a free-flowing glacier, Milin says.<br /><br />But he added that top liquids are only for special treats - and for everyday drinking we should stick to tap water.<br /><br />He said: "You'd be surprised how many people buy cheap plastic commoditised water, thinking it's better than tap water.<br /><br />"We should all drink tap water, or filtered tap water, for hydration.<br /><br />"Sometimes people put any differences in water taste down to pH.<br /><br />"But 99% of what a water tastes like is down to its total dissolved solids (TDS) - the combination of different minerals in it."<br /><br />Milin says that magnesium in water can give a slight "sweet and zingy" flavour.<br /><br />And potassium gives a "slightly bitter and earthy flavour", he said.
