3 ms·

I drink several cups of water per day straight out of the tap in San Francisco, and have done so for about 6 years. It tastes fine to me, which is to say it doe

by baddox 9y ago

I drink several cups of water per day straight out of the tap in San Francisco, and have done so for about 6 years. It tastes fine to me, which is to say it doesn’t taste like anything. I also have a water filter and pitcher that I keep in my fridge, and while ice cold water is certainly nicer, it’s rarely worth the trouble for me to refill it. I’m curious why you think the water tastes bad straight from the tap, and even more curious if you would be able the distinguish it from your preferred water source in a blind taste test.

hueving 9y ago
Have you ever had water from anywhere else? The minerals in the bay area water or whatever the chemical difference is makes it awful compared to tap water elsewhere. >even more curious if you would be able the distinguish it from your preferred water source in a blind taste test. Of course you would. Tap water isn't purified in any regard to only contain hydrogen and oxygen. It's filled with all kinds of other crap with just certain crap removed.
- louhike 9y ago
  It doesn't seem completly rational to say "all kinds of other crap", but maybe I'm wrong and you have examples of which kind of craps. Tap water is usually enough regulated for it to be safe to drink.
  - hueving 9y ago
    There is a huge variety of minerals that are perfectly fine to leave in drinking water. You're right that it's regulated to be safe to drink, but safety has nothing to do with taste.
- baddox 9y ago
  I grew up with well water from the Midwest, which oddly enough is claimed by many to be very tasty because of its mineral content (but bad for pipes and appliances). I’ve also heard people say that distilled water actually tastes bad or uncomfortable precisely because it is very nearly just hydrogen and oxygen. I’m still skeptical that there’s any difference that could be discerned in a blind test.
  - macawfish 9y ago
    To people who regularly drink very mineralized spring water, there's a huge difference. Spring water tastes almost like milk.
  - sf_rob 9y ago
    "Minerals" is a blanket category. That's like saying that you'll like flour water because you like sugar water because they're both fall into the category of carbs.
icelancer 9y ago
The difference is significant. I lived in Cleveland, OH for awhile, and their city has some of the best tap water in the nation. Did a stint in the Bay Area and the difference is immediately noticeable, and this was before anyone brought it up to me or I had read about it, so there was no chance of being influenced by prior opinion.

by baddox 9y ago

hueving 9y ago

Have you ever had water from anywhere else? The minerals in the bay area water or whatever the chemical difference is makes it awful compared to tap water elsewhere. >even more curious if you would be able the distinguish it from your preferred water source in a blind taste test. Of course you would. Tap water isn't purified in any regard to only contain hydrogen and oxygen. It's filled with all kinds of other crap with just certain crap removed.

louhike 9y ago
It doesn't seem completly rational to say "all kinds of other crap", but maybe I'm wrong and you have examples of which kind of craps. Tap water is usually enough regulated for it to be safe to drink.
- hueving 9y ago
  There is a huge variety of minerals that are perfectly fine to leave in drinking water. You're right that it's regulated to be safe to drink, but safety has nothing to do with taste.
baddox 9y ago
I grew up with well water from the Midwest, which oddly enough is claimed by many to be very tasty because of its mineral content (but bad for pipes and appliances). I’ve also heard people say that distilled water actually tastes bad or uncomfortable precisely because it is very nearly just hydrogen and oxygen. I’m still skeptical that there’s any difference that could be discerned in a blind test.
- macawfish 9y ago
  To people who regularly drink very mineralized spring water, there's a huge difference. Spring water tastes almost like milk.
- sf_rob 9y ago
  "Minerals" is a blanket category. That's like saying that you'll like flour water because you like sugar water because they're both fall into the category of carbs.

icelancer 9y ago

The difference is significant. I lived in Cleveland, OH for awhile, and their city has some of the best tap water in the nation. Did a stint in the Bay Area and the difference is immediately noticeable, and this was before anyone brought it up to me or I had read about it, so there was no chance of being influenced by prior opinion.