On the topic “how much” and “what type” of water to drink there is so much out there, all kinds of information depending on what is “trendy”.
The Ayurveda specialists I have been in touch with recommend the following regarding the amount to take in (juice, soup, tea etc. are counted separate):
a person with vatta dominance needs 1.8-2 liter of water a day due to its lack of water,
a person with pitta dominance needs 1.5-1.8 liter of water a day and
a person with kapha dominance needs 1.2-1.5 liter of water a day due to its tendency to hold water.
As everything, this also changes with the season, age, special conditions (e.g. excessive workout) etc. Waiting until we are super thirsty is not good as we need water to cleanse, digest, to function well in general, however over drinking is also not healthy as it can cause nausea/vomiting, headache, swelling, muscle weakness and disorientation.
If there are so many factors to consider what is the right amount to drink at the end? Ayurveda's answer (beside taking in as minimum the above) is to observe the output! In a healthy person, your urine is a good indicator of your hydration status. Pale yellow urine that looks like lemonade is a good goal. Darker urine means you need more water. Urine with almost no colour means you are over-hydrated. The best practice is to split your water intake into 5, have one portion after you wake up, one before bed, one an hour before or after your lunch and sip 1-1 in between these. Consuming the first and the last warm (not hot) will help you even more (may be also adding a bit of ginger). Why? Its the topic of one of the next posts.
Finally a sentence about "what type": drinking always mineral water is not healthy either. If you are lucky to live in a country where tap water is good quality, have that rather then mineral water.