A Nevada family says their loved one developed Lou Gehrig’s disease from a bottled water brand sold at Costco — and now they want answers.
A Las Vegas mother of six died at age 49 after allegedly developing ALS from a bottled water brand she bought at Costco. Her family has filed a lawsuit claiming the water contained a chemical used in rocket fuel.
“As a direct and proximate result of the hydrazine in defendants’ bottled water products, Addie suffered ALS and died.” — Legal complaint filed by the Coggs family
Addie Coggs passed away on September 10, 2019. Her family’s lawsuit accuses Real Water — marketed as the “healthiest drinking water available” — of selling products laced with hydrazine, a known liver toxin and ALS trigger.
What is hydrazine?
Hydrazine is a chemical used in rocket fuel. According to the lawsuit, it formed inside Real Water during the company’s production process, when water was run through electrically charged titanium tubes — a step meant to “enhance” the water.
How it formed: Water containing potassium and magnesium was passed through titanium tubes with massive electrical charges applied for up to 8 hours — experts believe this process created the toxic hydrazine.
What is ALS?
ALS — also called Lou Gehrig’s disease — is a fatal disease of the brain and spinal cord. It causes motor neurons to die, leading to progressive loss of muscle control. Over time, patients lose the ability to move, speak, swallow, and breathe. It is 100% fatal.
What happened to Real Water?
In 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigated Real Water and found the company was operating facilities that failed to meet food safety requirements. Real Water agreed to cease all operations in June 2021.
The Coggs family says Addie had no other known chemical or physical exposure linked to ALS before her diagnosis — pointing directly at the water as the cause.
Where was it sold? Real Water was available at major retailers including Costco and WinCo Foods.
The lawsuit names Real Water and its majority shareholder, Affinitylifestyles.com Inc., as defendants.
