Denizens of TikTok's WaterTok and Reddit's r/HydroHomies may need to gird themselves for a Topo Chico shortage, one that could last through the summer, according to CNN.
What's happening?
Topo Chico sparkling water has been lauded as a "cult favorite" for years, both in the news and on social media.
Across the internet's hydration enthusiast communities, the brand is prized for its crisp, clean taste and carbonation that one Reddit user described as "acute."
The beloved brand is owned by beverage giant Coca-Cola, which confirmed that all varieties remained "temporarily unavailable" in U.S. markets.
A company spokesperson attributed the Topo Chico shortage to "facility upgrades at the water source and production facilities in Mexico," but CNN obtained a more detailed letter to distributors about the matter.
Topo Chico is sourced from specific wells in Monterrey, and Coca-Cola told vendors that it had recently learned of unspecified "problems" with the source wells, "including quality issues related to the source's geology."
Although Coca-Cola's full letter to distributors was not provided, CNN quoted a key, vague section in which the corporation acknowledged ongoing infrastructure changes.
"We are now making further investments at the source to improve source stability and quality and enable increased production, requiring us to temporarily stop production," Coca-Cola's letter to distributors confirmed.
Why is the Topo Chico shortage concerning?
Beyond the scant information CNN obtained, little was known about the nature of the Topo Chico shortage.
However, Coca-Cola mentioned quality issues in its letter to vendors, and in its coverage of the shortage, the Independent referenced a Topo Chico recall last June prompted by potential contamination with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
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Save $1,000 this year 💸 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, P. aeruginosa is a bacterium naturally present in soil and water that is highly resistant to antibiotics.
A 2021 study in the journal Reviews in Medical Microbiology noted that the pathogen "can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality," and as the CDC explained, it is particularly dangerous for at-risk populations and in medical settings.
It wasn't clear if the current Topo Chico shortage and the quality issues cited were linked to the June recall. However, a user on Reddit's r/TopoChico posted in September, asserting that a Coca-Cola vendor acknowledged a then-ongoing Topo Chico shortage.
Topo Chico isn't the only Coca-Cola brand affected by recalls in 2025 and early 2026.
The company initiated a recall in March because of potential plastic contamination in Coke cans and again in October, citing possible metal fragments in three popular soft drinks.
What's being done about it?
On Wednesday, a beverage industry news account on Instagram, thirsty (@thirsty), indicated that the Topo Chico shortage would likely last until July at the earliest and September at the latest.
Commenters didn't take the news well.
"2026 is really trying me," one admitted.
"Nothing quite hits like that smooth glass bottle and extra carbonation. It's gonna be a long summer," another user glumly replied.
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