our tap water tastes yucky - water filtration?

[lmh2402]

i used to be a HUGE water drinker. i leave a glass by the sink and would just fill it up all day long from the tap

i took for granted how good nyc water was.

the water in our town tastes like crap

so i've been drinking way less water than i used to, or than i should

brita doesn't help

only thing that makes it reasonably ok is filling glass with ice so it's really cold

but i just don't have time or interest to always make sure i'm drinking ice cold water

any suggestions for a water filtration system would be greatly appreciated

i would love to have something that filters all the water in the entire house...

thanks

[elephantmeg]

they make those or you can do an under the sink filter that just filters that tap. Any time you filter anything the more water you filter the faster you change filters. So I would just do an under the sink filter. I do not reccomend my peice of crap cheap britta filter that attaches to the spigot that my mom got us last Christmas that worked exactly a month before it started shooting water through a small hole in the top. She has a nicer version that works fine though, she just decided to buy the cheapest for us. Which is typical.

[Penny's Pappa]

They do make whole-house filtration systems, but do you really need to filter all the water in your house? I'm talking drinking water, shower water, toilet water, etc. If your water just tastes bad to you, but isn't otherwise damaging parts of your home, you may want to just filter your drinking water.

For that, it sounds like you could benefit from an under-sink Reverse Osmosis (RO) system. You can get those for ~$150 at Lowe's.

Regardless of which system you go with, keep in mind how much filters are going to cost you over time. That's where the real expense comes in.

[lmh2402]

hmm...ok, i definitely don't need to filter toilet water - good point, thanks

i was just thinking if it tastes so bad, do i really want to bathing DS or having us shower in it?

is there a test we can do to determine if the water is contaminated? including, but not exclusive to, lead?

if all is good and clear, than maybe i can try to force myself to get used to the taste...but i don't know...it's pretty distinct.

who thought i'd be pining for even the water in brooklyn :(

[Penny's Pappa]

Yup, there are all sorts of at-home drinking water test kits. Or, you could contact a water quality lab in your area and see if they will do residential testing.

If you have public water, your local municipality should probably have testing data that you can look at as well.

Lastly, if you don't like the taste of your water, there's no need to force yourself to get used to it. Taste is important and it's going to affect your foods too. If it bothers you that much, it makes perfect sense to look into filtering.

ETA: I just realized that in my earlier post, I may have sounded like I was rejecting whole-house filtration as an option. That was not my intent. You may actually need it, I don't know. You should get your water tested. The results of that test will help determine which kind of filtration system would be most appropriate.

[hobie]

I used to work for a water lab and tested home samples all the time. I'm sure you can find a lab in your area to test your water. It's better to have a lab run the samples, then try to do it yourself (you wouldn't have the right equipment). If you get your water from the city, it has already been tested, but the pipes in your house can change the way the water tastes and/or contaminate the water, depending on the age and type of pipe. If you get your water from a well, you should test your water yearly. If you just bought your home, your water may have already been tested, as part of the sale, so you wouldn't need to repeat anything that has just been done.

If your water tests safe, but doesn't taste good, go with an under the sink RO.

Basic tests include: coliform bacteria, nitrate, lead, iron, hardness, pH, sulfate, total dissolved solids (TDS), corrosion index.

[daisymommy]

And once you filter it, you could do what I do--fill a pitcher or carafe (or two) with filtered water, and keep it in the fridge. Aaaaah. Ice cold water, 24/7. I also keep a big insulated water bottle full of cold filtered water sitting out on the counter top so I can take a swig whenever I pass by it. I drink a ton of water during the day.

Real quick gripe: my step-mom goes through disposable water bottles like they are going of style. Maybe half a flat per day. Because she doesn't like the taste of tap water, and she's too lazy to wash a glass (her words). And she doesn't recycle them either. :shake: Makes me crazy!

[JTsMom]

I've had really good luck with the PUR 3 stage filters. Our water 2 homes ago was disgusting. There was an obscene amount of chlorine in it. The filters worked great. I also put a shower filter in b/c the chlorine was destroying our skin. It was truly that bad. We had an tub/shower combo there, and I'd fill DS's bath with shower water so it would be filtered. IIRC, we got that one from Home Depot.

[georgiegirl]

We have a reverse osmosis system installed by culligan and it makes our water taste awesome. It. Takes everything out of the water. It has really made a difference.

[gatorsmom]

We have a reverse osmosis system installed by culligan and it makes our water taste awesome. It. Takes everything out of the water. It has really made a difference.


We have one of those too on our kitchen sink. The water tastes glorious!

[DrSally]

We have a filter in our fridge for our drinking water, and that's enough for me. If I didn't have that, I'd consider getting a reverse osmosis under sink filter. It also filters out flouride, which is a plus for me.

Is the water chlorine tasting/smelling? I heard that refridgerating water makes the chlorine evaporate. I would really get something b/c if it's impacting your water drinking ,that's a problem!

[lmh2402]

thanks, guys

no, it doesn't smell or taste like chlorine

it tastes like...dirt. i think. not that i've eaten dirt recently, but it tastes like what i would imagine dirt to taste like

it's just very unpleasant

culligan...hmm...i'll have to look into the reverse osmosis thing

is it super expensive? (where is the don't-really-want-know-the-answer smilie...)

[gatorsmom]

is it super expensive? (where is the don't-really-want-know-the-answer smilie...)

Blissfully, I can't remember. :D Make a few phone calls and have a few people give you estimates. The prices are probably different in different areas anyway, yk?

[DrSally]

Dirt?! I wonder if there's a sediment problem. I would definitely get a filter.