The sticky thread is a lot to read through so it'll definitely take some time
My late cat always like the Wellness, Evo & Innova varieties listed above, she didn't like Halo or Merrick but that was her personal preference, the other brands she didn't get try cuz she was switched to raw food.
Drinking "too much" water generally doesn't happen as they will regulate what they need and if it becomes evident that they are spending far more time than before at the water dish, then it's time for a trip to see the vet about starting fluid therapy. Once they reach the point of needing subq fluids they will still drink lots but since they'd be getting extra fluids so the amount they'd be drinking would taper off a bit.