There are three criteria for judging the quality of water:

1. it must be clear and delicious;
2. it must be natural and fresh, (select those water sources which are active but not stagnant);
3. it must be stored in proper containers; don’t use those wooden containers which have a smell and do not use water stored in PET Plastic Bottles.

Among all, natural water is the best choice, it includes spring water, river water, lake water, stream water, well water, rain water, snow water, ... etc. Out of them, spring water is the best for its pureness and delicious. Besides spring water, stream water, lake water and river water are also good as long as they have not been polluted.
  

As quoted from "THE BOOK OF TEA" by Lu Yu, spring water is the best, river water the second, followed by well water. Though well water is also a good choice for making tea, there are more factors concerning well water that need to be considered: first is the deepness of the well, second is whether the well has been polluted or not. Generally, well water from deeper wells is less polluted than those from shallow wells. Hence water from deeper wells is better.

Rain water and snow water are described by Ancient Chinese as the "Spring water from the sky" and they are also appropriate for making tea.  Rain water is relatively clean, but its pureness varies with seasons. In autumn, rain water is the best because of the high air pressure and less dust in the air. Rain water is cleanest during this season. In spring, humidity is high which enhances the growth of micro-organisms and bacteria, so water quality during spring is worst. In summer, thundering storms allow dust and sands to intermix with rain water, so rain water in this season is not suitable for making tea.

In the city, finding good quality water for making tea is not an easy job. Sometimes it’s even practically impossible to find unpolluted natural water, and tap water is frequently highly chlorinated. Chlorine found in tap water jeopardizes the aroma and taste of tea. We should minimize the chlorine ingredient by storing tap water in containers for a whole night. Chlorine in the water will evaporate into the air. After this, tap water is now suitable for making tea.

Water can be distinguished into "hard water" and "soft water". Water with more than 8 milligrams of calcium and magnesium ion per liter is described as "hard water", while water with less than 8 milligrams of calcium and magnesium per liter is called "soft water". "Soft water" is the correct choice in tea making and will result in tea that is clear, fresh and aromatic; on the other hand, "hard water" will make the tea opaque, harsh in flavor and less aromatic.

Among the different kinds of natural water, rain water, snow water are "soft water". Spring water, stream water, lake water, river water are mostly "hard water". If you take them in tea making, the water should firstly be stored in a container for overnight. The calcium and magnesium ion will condense to the bottom of the container. Then, use the upper 2/3’s of water to make tea.

My Secret- I prefer to use LITHIA SPRING WATER spring water. To prepare my water I let it sit in the sunlight and moonlight for one day with a small Neolithic Black JADE (magnetic) Hongshan talisman inside.  After my water is prepared I make a green Japanese tea and serve it in an ancient Neolithic Jade teapot. I savor every sip as precious moments of life.