If August needs to stay away from water, why would he be drinking it all the time?
He’s human, he needs some amount of water but his FTL programming (blood memory/instinct) gives him reason to be wary of or flee situations where water would surround him. Much like someone who was traumatized from a drowning incident might begin to have tremors or hesitations to be near water. Perhaps, he also feels a great reverence and respect for the power of water to both, sustain or terminate life thus it is “magical” to him.