In 1884 Mark Twain wrote, "Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over."

Given the fact that water is one of the most important substances you can feed your body, few would argue that both the quantity and quality of the water you drink are key to healthier living.

Quality H20

With all the water on the market today, one would think that truly "pure" water is plentiful.

Tap water alone undergoes painstaking purification. The EPA checks for 90 known contaminants in all public water supplies. Suppliers are not able to supply water if any contaminants are present. So, the good news is that tap water is actually quite good for you. In fact, over 90 percent of water systems in the U.S. meet the EPA's standard for tap water quality.

One company in San Diego called Bio-Hydration Research Lab, Inc., has taken tap water one significant step further. They have created a water that is of the purest form. They call it Penta water.

The makers of this "ultra premium purified drinking water" claim they go through a 13-step purification process in Bio-Hydration Research Lab's state-of-the-art bottling facility. The facility is located in Carlsbad, California - just outside of San Diego.

Ultra Pure Water

Every ounce of Penta water is 100% all-natural. The company states that every bottle has been reduced to its essence - its most basic state.

No artificial ingredients are added.

Penta water has zero calories.

Penta is chlorine-free, fluoride-free, arsenic-free, bromate-free,
chromium-free, and MTBE-free. Trace amounts of these, as well as many other
impurities, can be found in tap water (although the amount must fall within
the the limits set by federal and state water regulatory agencies).

Pure Water That Hydrates Better

Research reports indicate that Bio-Hydration's super-clean Penta water
provides maximum hydration.

It takes about 11 hours to make a bottle of Penta water.

But, for athletes especially, the $1 - $2 price per 16.9 oz bottle is worth it.

The Quantity of Water We Drink is on The Rise

In the Beverage Marketing Corporation’s April 8th, 2004 report, "Bottled Water in the U.S." bottled water ranks as the second largest commercial beverage in the nation, surpassing beer and coffee on a volume basis.

Since 1940, water consumption has quadrupled and will continue to increase as the world’s population grows. (Source: Dow)

Per capita bottled water consumption reached 22.6 gallons in 2003, up from 21.2 in 2002. U.S. residents now drink more bottled water annually than any other beverage other than carbonated soft drinks. In many circles, water has been heralded as the oil of the 21st century.

For those interested in following the bottled water industry from an investor perspective, go to: BeverageStocks.com

The water we consume daily is what establishes the functional properties of water throughout our body.

Water makes up 75% of our body mass. To stay healthy, we need to hydrate our bodies with eight cups of water a day. Both caffeine and alcohol are considered dehydrating. My acupuncturist claims that for every six ounces of coffee I drink, I need to replenish my cells with twenty-four ounces of water.

If a man weighs 200-pounds he should drink 100 ounces of water a day. Half your body weight is the metric.

Because Penta is so pure and natural, they claim you don't need to drink gallons of Penta to experience the benefits of better hydration.

The best times of day to drink water:

Before breakfast
Mid a.m.
Before lunch
Mid p.m.
Before dinner
Mid evening

If you exercise daily, you should also drink a glass of water when you wake up and before you go to bed.

Original Water in The Desert

During the Nabataean and Roman periods, the pool complex and garden at Petra offered a refreshing retreat from the city center and the heat of the desert. Two perennial springs, Ain Musa and Ain Braq, located in the hills to the east of the city, and two additional springs within the city limits in Wadi Siagha and Wadi Abu 'Ollegha were the main sources of water for the city. However, as the population of the city grew, it became more and more necessary to devise ways to collect and distribute water.

The Nabataeans are known for their ingenious engineering skills with which they developed a complex system of dams, runnels, diversion channels, reservoirs and cisterns to collect virtually every drop of water runoff in order to fulfill their domestic needs.

Writing in the first century B.C., the ancient geographer Strabo described Petra, the capital of the Nabataeans, as "having springs in abundance, both for domestic purposes and for watering gardens."

Twenty-first century Nabataeans, Penta founders, Bill Holloway, wife G.R. and son Michael, have developed what some people are calling "the next generation of water."

My six year-old calls it "work-out water."

Others call it "celebrity water," because so many stars drink Penta.

Since the Holloways began bottling Penta in April 1999 for the rest of the world, hundreds of thousands of health conscious people have discovered that when they drink Penta, they not only taste, but also feel a difference.

Sting calls Penta water a "perfectly tuned instrument for superior purity, taste and hydration."

Among the other well-known athletes and celebrities who drink Penta are:

The #1 Triathlete in the World Chris McCormack

Olympic gold medal winner Ed Moses

2004 Olympian, USA Swim Team, Amanda Beard

2004 Olympian, USA Swim Team, Aaron Piersol

2004 Olympian, USA Swim Team, Jason Lezak

2004 Olympian, USA Swim Team, Kaitlin Sandeno

2004 Olympian, USA Swim Team, Scott Goldblatt

2004 Olympian, USA Swim Team, Gabe Woodward

All-pro San Diego Chargers running back, LaDanian Tomlison

San Diego Padres pitcher David Wells

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Johnnie Morton

TV talk show host/comedian Ellen Degeneres

Actor Kevin Sorbo

Actor Christopher Atkins

Ace Reliever, San Diego Padres, Trevor Hoffman

First Baseman, Oakland A's, Eric Karros

Goaltender / All-Star, San Diego Gulls, Trevor Koenig

Actor, AJ Langer

PGA Golfer, Franklin Langham

Forward, Los Angeles Lakers, Luke Walton

Actor, Ryan O'Neal

Some of the lower profile but well respected athletes who credit improved performance thanks to Penta include:

Winner of the 2002 San Diego Marathon, Serbia’s #1 Ranked Runner, 14 Time National Champion, Janko Bensa

Professional Triathlete, Eileen Castillo

2002 Paralympic Triple Silver Medallist, Muffy Davis

1996 Olympian, Veteran Marathoner, and Current Masters American Record Holder, Eddy Hellebuyck

Pro Triathlete, Chris Lieto

Model / Actress, Fitness Trainer, Christina Lindley

2002 Goody's Dash Series, NASCAR Touring Driver, Brian Loftin

Forward, San Diego Spirit, Shannon MacMillan

Team Oxydol Extreme Clean, Eco-Challenge 2001 and 2002, Jamie Monroe

IFBB Fitness Professional / Bodybuilder, Claire Morris

Pro Tennis Player, Winner of the 2002 Salem Open ATP Doubles Tournament, Graydon Oliver

Pro Triathlete, Winner of the Men’s 2002 Tiszaujarous ITU World Cup, Craig Walton

National Junior Olympic Gold Medal Karate Champion, Anthony Penta (nice name!)

Right Winger, San Diego Gulls, Dennis Purdie

The Santa Barbara Gauchos | Women's Volleyball Team

Top Women's Beach Volleyball Player, Leanne McSorley

Pro Triathlete, Jessi Stensland

Team Oxydol Extreme Clean | Eco-Challenge 2001 and 2002

University of Colorado at Boulder | Women's Tennis Team

Penta Athlete Study

In October 2001, a study was completed at the University of St. Thomas Department of Health and Human Performance in St. Paul, Minnesota, which demonstrated a significant increase in athletic performance, as measure for power, endurance and speed after drinking Penta water for three days. Eight competitive triathletes and/or cyclists were tested and the results, if translated to actual competition, would reflect substantial improvement (up to 15% decrease in overall time) for each athlete after consumption of Penta water.

One Testimony

Shelley Marks, from Denver Colorado, heard about Penta water from Hollywood friends.

She said, "My body was feeling like it was riddled with pain and suffering. After having a miscarriage, I was looking for healing and to cleanse the body cellularly. My body tingled the first time I drank Penta water. Since discovering the water in April, I drink 4-6 bottles a day. I feel the difference inside. And my skin looks so much better."

A Few H2O Tips

Before Traveling: Try to drink extra water the day before and the day of your trip.

When Flying: Drink one cup of water for every hour in the air. (Traveling east on Monday, that means I will need fourteen 16 oz. bottles of water for my family of four.)

After You Get To The Beach: Warm Summer weather requires one or two EXTRA 8-ounce servings of water to combat potential dehydration that comes from heat.

Upon Giving Birth: Mothers who breast-feed, need three ADDITIONAl 8-ounce servings of water per day. Break milk has high concentrations of water in it, so nursing mothers need to replenish what is lost when feeding your babe.

To calculate how much water your body needs, based on your weight and the amount you exercise, go to: BottledWater.org

Penta's suggested retail price: $54.96 for twenty-four 16.9 oz. bottles.

In addition, to the U.S. Penta is distributed and sold in Canada, Great Britain, Japan, and Italy.

Today, 3,500 health food stores and 1,000 grocery stores in the United States sell pure Penta water.

Whole Foods Market in San Francisco is one of those stores.

In July, when I started this story, Whole Foods charged $1.99 per bottle or $43.94 for a case of twenty-four 16.9 oz. bottles. Since then, the price has dropped to $1.39 per bottle.

The shipping weight is 30 lbs. per case. One online resource which charges $39.95 per case, only ships via FedEx Ground, adding $14.95 to the price.

When you purchase two cases of Penta Water from Amazon, shipping is free.

In honor of a friend who nearly lost his eye this summer, I am fasting and praying for him, today. I'll be drinking a lot of Penta water this first day of October. May our friend's body be healed.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful and pure living!

~ Jennifer King