Is Water Supposed to Taste Like This???

[sarab]

Here lately, my water tastes like metal. What would that be and is it harmful. My children and I drink a ton of the tap water. I am going to call the company today and complain about it. This morning I ordered a Brita water faucet in hopes of removing whatever is harming our water and making it taste awful!

Anyone else have tap water with a touch of metal??

Sara

 

[melimcn]

No idea what that could be, but I've had either a Brita of filtered water for years. Drinking tap water in Chicago could make you glow in the dark!

Occasionally, our FILTERED water tastes like fertilizer.

So anymore, I drink bottled whenever I can. It may be tap water - or whatever the lastest story is, but at least it's purified.

 

[marnold]

Sorry to hear about your tap water troubles, Sara. Most public health departments routinely test public water systems for safe levels of all impurities. You might want to give them a call. Around here they test pretty regularly to ensure we have safe water. Many impurities, even at safe levels, can taste funny.

HTH. Good luck to you!

 

[kathryn]

Water that comes right out of a spring can sometimes taste a bit metallic because of the mineral content. That's not necessarily a bad thing, if the metals are helpful (like a little bit of iron, for example). But if it's coming from your tap, I'd wonder if it isn't from your pipes.

I refuse to drink tap water, both because of taste (sometimes ours smells and tastes like leaves stagnating in a pond, or a bit soapy), and because of what's in it (chlorine, flouride,'safe levels' of who knows what), but I got tired of buying water in plastic bottles, so I have a distiller for all my drinking water.

 

[LauraMax]

Oh boy, this is a topic I've had to deal w/at work since the day I started here.

Your water co. basically has two options for a water source--from the ground or from water tanks. Water from tanks is soft water & usually considered "purer" b/c, as Kathryn pointed out, it has less minerals in it & therefore doesn't have a funny taste or leave residue on your dishes & glasses.

Ground water is usually hard water, meaning it's higher in calcium. Physically it is a good thing since obviously you're taking in more calcium when you drink it. But it's bad for your plumbing systems--causes corrosion almost twice as fast as soft water--so you'll have to replace things like your hot water heater more often. Also it will leave a film on your dishes & glasses.

Your state department of environmental protection will have water quality standards, & at least in NJ water companies are required to put out an annual report that shows a comparison of their chemicals to DEP's standards. It can be a little confusing to read, but it will tell you whether your water is safe.

Jeez, the things they don't teach you in college.

 

[sarab]

Well, I called the water company and they said due to the extremely dry conditions, the water will taste funny until we get some rain. They claim that it is being treated and is safe. I am still getting the Brita faucet mount!!!


Thanks Everybody!!

Sara