Spa
Spa is a natural mineral water from the Hautes Fagnes nature reserve in the Ardennes, Belgium, bottled in the municipality of Spa. The town of Spa has given its name to the English-language word “spa,” a result of the resort town’s fame from the 16th century onwards as a destination for therapeutic mineral bathing. Commercial bottling of Spa water is documented from the 17th century. The brand is owned by Spadel.
Mineral composition
| mg/L | |
|---|---|
| Calcium | 5 |
| Magnesium | 1 |
| Sodium | 3 |
| Sulfate | 4 |
| Chloride | 5 |
| Bicarbonate | 11 |
Compositions can vary by season and source. Read our methodology.
Mineral character
Spa is one of the most lightly mineralised waters in the TWD database. Calcium is 4.5 mg/L, magnesium 1.3 mg/L, sodium 3 mg/L, sulphate 4 mg/L, chloride 5 mg/L, and bicarbonate 11.1 mg/L. Hardness is 17 mg/L as CaCO₃ and TDS is approximately 33 mg/L. All ions are at very low levels, reflecting the sandstone and Cambrian quartzite geology of the Hautes Fagnes plateau, which contributes minimal dissolved minerals.
Documented use and context
The town of Spa was frequented by European royalty and aristocracy from the 16th century for its mineral spring waters. The Oxford English Dictionary records “spa” in English usage from the 17th century, derived from the Walloon place name. The Spa water’s commercial history is among the longest of any bottled water brand in continuous production.
Use-case suitability
- CoffeeNot used in any current coffee recipe, but hardness 17 mg/L sits within the 9–266 mg/L range typical for these targets.
- TeaNot used in any current tea recipe. Hardness 17 mg/L is below the 37–59 mg/L range of these targets, useful as a diluent.
- BrewingNot used in any current brewing recipe. Hardness 17 mg/L is below the 26–922 mg/L range of these targets, useful as a diluent.
- BakingNot used in any current baking recipe. Hardness 17 mg/L is below the 46–390 mg/L range of these targets, useful as a diluent.
- AquariumNot used in any current aquarium recipe. Hardness 17 mg/L is below the 35–212 mg/L range of these targets, useful as a diluent.
- HorticultureNot used in any current horticulture recipe, but hardness 17 mg/L sits within the 12–54 mg/L range typical for these targets.
Where to buy
NL
Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Colruyt, Delhaize, Carrefour BE
€0.35-0.50 per litre
BE
Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Colruyt, Delhaize, Carrefour BE
€0.35-0.50 per litre
Available in Belgium and the Netherlands. As of March 2026.