As summer approaches, public health campaigns are ramping up the message: drink more water. Social media is flooded with nutritionists and self-styled wellness gurus urging Israelis to consume 8–10 glasses a day, always keep a bottle on hand and hydrate before every meal.
On TikTok, fitness influencers tout daily water challenges, promoting 2 liters (67 fl oz) a day between workouts. But while some people track every sip, others can barely bring themselves to drink even a single glass.
Yael Inbar-Nehushtan, 60, from Tel Aviv, hasn’t touched plain water since she was young—mostly because of the taste. “Water tastes and smells different everywhere. Sometimes like chlorine, sometimes like sand, sometimes like sewage,” she said.
“When I was growing up, we all drank tap water. At some point, I…