Exclusive Interview with Elisabeth Muhr, Co-Founder of Hallstein Water

Q&A

WHAT IS HALLSTEIN WATER?
It is the only water on the market which is totally and honestly untouched, untreated, and uncompromised. It has a remarkable velvety palette and rare balance of minerals that naturally occur due to the unique terrain and limestone at our source at the base of Dachstein mountain in the Austrian Alps.

HOW AND WHEN DID IT START?
It started in 1999 as a family project to find the best drinking water available to us. The main goal was to avoid cell inflammation, which makes you age faster and increases the probability of developing dormant illnesses.

Although we can survive quite a while without food - Mahatma Gandhi survived 21 days - we can only survive three days without water. The saying "water is life," is in fact literal. Our bodies are 60%-70% and we knew unlocking the science behind ideal water composition would be a critical source of longevity and wellness. Then we discovered that the FDA/EPA hadn't really made significant updates to the original law from the 1970s (except for small adjustments in 1996), so we knew we had to dig deeper.

Working with a team of scientists and water experts, we began to establish some core metrics, which we called the "Hallstein Octagon," for defining drinking water quality. Using their criteria, we began testing a large number of waters (from stores and tap water) in laboratories. The results were eye-opening. What they revealed was that there wasn't a single commercially available drinking water that met our criteria for "high quality."

Then we knew that we had to discover our own source.

A team of hydro-geologists, geological university departments and an oil company, who scoured worldwide formation maps, pointed to the only possible area with a probability to find such amazing water, and this area was surprisingly in Austria, our homeland. We have a wonderful video that tells the whole story on our website - if you enjoy Wes Anderson films, you'll have fun watching this! A Hallstein Tale - Movie

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOU?
I was born in Innsbruck, Austria, and grew up in the most beautiful countryside. From early on my passion was the outdoors and especially water. I remember redirecting the small creek behind my family's house with rocks and plants, so my dolls or our dog could safely be on a small float.

I later went to the University of Environmental Engineering in Vienna, Austria and got a degree as an engineer and ecologist.

Before I started my dream job as part of a team for the evaluation of hydro-power plants, I decided to take a job at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona, teaching graduate students the "Effects of Ecology applied to Environmental Engineering." But I met my husband, changed my plans, stayed in the US and the rest is history.

DOES THE PACKAGING MATTER?
Yes, it matters and we are constantly working on improving it.

We are the only company using white recycled glass for our glass bottles. Right now, we are redesigning the bottles to make them lighter. Our car-ton packaging is made explicitly of 100% recycled cardboard and printed with non-toxic ink both reducing the use of raw materials and ensuring the breakdown process is earth-friendly. Even our filling plant was built to the highest sustainability standards: geothermal heat, a green roof, clearing the least amount of woods, leaving a strip of untouched woods and vegetation between the building and the road to hide it.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN BOTTLED WATERS?
The difference between all bottled waters is the content and treatment, which is necessary to make a water stable. Very often, water companies want to change a water which is acidic to alkaline, so they add large amounts of Sodium, Calcium, or Magnesium to water which can be detrimental to one's health in large amounts. But at a minimum, these processed waters are heated and treated with UV to eliminate the bacteria or organic material.

Hallstein is un-processed and therefore naturally pure with the ultimate combination of factors including high pH of 8.3, perfect calcium:magnesium ratio, high naturally dissolved oxygen and low (really trace amounts) of sodium. Additionally, what we are incredibly proud to state is Hallstein has been proven to be 100% PFAS and microplastics free. Both these toxins are practically unavoidable in daily life - microplastics are also in the air. Our source is so pristine and how we harvest what it naturally produces, allows us to maintain this delicate gift of nature. All the details of our Octagon and water quality reports are available here. The purest drinking water on earth - Hallstein Water.

HOW DID YOU REALIZE THAT YOU WANTED TO START A WATER COMPANY?
We shipped Hallstein to our homes in Austria and the United States. Many of our friends asked if they could have it too because it tasted so smooth and velvety. They felt that all of a sudden they had found a product which would get them started to better hydration and overall health.

WHAT ARE THE KEY BENEFITS OF HALLSTEIN WATER?
We originally started out to drink the very best water for ultimate hydration, ultimate cleansing and prevention of aging. Two years ago, we were asked to provide Hall-stein for a clinical study in Germany, where the doctors and scientists wanted to find out if and then how different waters acted in humans. They had 182 participants and the results were baffling. A way to measure one's health is to measure one's "antioxidative capacity" and one's "free radicals."

"Laboratory values show that antioxidant capacity increases by 14.5% (p = 0.038) with AQ water, and by 6.2% with tap water. Free radicals, which were increased on average in all groups at the beginning, decreased by 9.7 % (p = 0.018) with AQ water and by 3.6 % with tap water. Over- all, it can be said that the AQ water from Hallstatt/ Obertraun can reduce oxidative stress more than twice as well as the tested tap water from the Forstenzell (best tap water in Germany) water protection area".

As you can imagine, with these scientific results, Hallstein has become recommended by doctors and spas. You can read the full report by Dr. Deutschlander here

Additionally, we were delighted to learn - because of the high content of natural Oxygen, the high alkalinity and the low-moderate dissolved minerals - Hallstein is the favorite water of prime wine producers and 5-star chefs. Why? Oxygen and alkalinity cleanse your palate and make it ready to enjoy the next sip or bite; and no chlorides or salts collide with the beautiful tastes you are actually intended to enjoy.

WHERE CAN I FIND IT?
You can only order it online at hallsteinwater.com or go to any number of restaurants or hotels that serve it on a daily basis!