Reasons Your Tap Water Tastes Bad and How to Fix It
You can drink water out of five different taps and experience five different flavors, even if the distinction is subtle. Why does this happen? Shouldn’t all tap water taste the same? In a perfect world, this would be the case. In reality, however, many factors can change the taste of tap water. In this blog, let’s talk about what those factors are, what can cause them, and importantly, what you can do to ensure that your tap water is pure and safe for consumption.
What Impacts the Taste of Tap Water?
Tap water can have a number of different flavors. Here are some of the more common ones, along with what causes them:
Bleach
If your tap water tastes like bleach, it’s likely due to chlorine or some other type of chemical disinfectant.
Public systems add chlorine to water for the same reason we add chlorine to our pools: to kill germs. However, if you can smell or taste it, there is definitely too much chlorine in your drinking water.
Dirt
Some people notice that their drinking water has a dirty, earthy taste to it. This could be due to things like organic matter and minerals (iron, manganese, etc.). Not only are these substances in bodies of water, but some of them can also grow right inside your pipes.
Metal
If your water tastes metallic, then it’s likely due to literal metal. Pipes corrode over time, leaching various metals into your tap water. Iron, copper, and lead are common culprits, although lead doesn’t have a taste. (That doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous, though.)
This could be especially relevant if you live in an older home. Lead pipes weren’t banned until 1986.
Rotten eggs
If you smell or taste something seriously off-putting, it’s likely a matter of hydrogen sulfide gas. This gas can be produced by groundwater, well water, or the plumbing system itself. To make matters worse, it can help other bacteria grow as well. If that isn’t bad enough, it can ultimately cause damage to your plumbing system.
Note: Where You Live Can Influence the Contaminants in Your Water
The quality and conditions of the land around you, in large part, determine the contaminants in your tap water. For instance, if you live near livestock, there’s waste and fertilizer to consider. If you live near heavy construction, the pollutants might look different. This is why tap water can taste so different from one home to the next.
Additionally, keep in mind that this really goes beyond simply drinking the water in your home. You’re also bathing in it, running through the sprinklers, watering your garden, and using it to wash your produce and clothes.
As we said, this list of contaminants isn’t exhaustive, but it should provide you with a solid starting point if you suspect your tap water is polluted.
Okay, But How Dangerous Are These Contaminants, Really?
Will the tiniest amount of contaminants make you deathly ill? Most likely, no. However, think of all the water you consume on any given day—it adds up. Over time, drinking contaminated water can absolutely make you sick and cause long-lasting health complications.
For example, drinking unfiltered fluoride water has been linked to lower IQ levels in children. Consuming high levels of lead in water could lead to high blood pressure, headaches, abdominal cramps, fatigue, irritability, and other symptoms. Estrogenic activity from hormone-containing drinking water has been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and breast and prostate cancer.
Are these risks you’re willing to take? We’re certainly not!
How to Ensure Your Tap Water is Clean
Did you hook up a Brita water filter to your faucet? Do you have a water filter built into your refrigerator? We have bad news for you.
Your drinking water is still contaminated.
The problem with most water filtration technology is that, put simply, it’s not powerful enough to truly address dangerous contaminants. It takes something more precise, and therein lies the magic of reverse osmosis (RO). RO filters are so refined that the only thing that can filter through them is water molecules.
The Sans water purifier takes this to another level with four-stage reverse osmosis filtration, removing impurities down to 0.0001 microns in size. Plus, our UV-C purification is the ultimate layer of defense against pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria.
Most of our competitors don’t use reverse osmosis filtration. This is why Sans filters out up to 99.9% of fluoride, forever chemicals, and microplastics, ensuring that you and your family are drinking only the purest water.
None of this is to say that competing filters don’t remove anything. But if you’re going to make a point of filtering your water… don’t you want to filter out as many contaminants as possible?
What Else Makes Sans Unique?
Sans is built with a removable glass pitcher, which auto-refills so you’re always prepared with purified drinking water. In addition, it can instantly dispense hot water—something that Brita and your refrigerator filter won’t do.
The water quality monitor gives you real-time updates on how well it’s working, and you’ll automatically be alerted when it’s time to change the filters. There’s no installation required, and the countertop design is sleek, modern, and inconspicuous.
If you need something on the go, try our self-cleaning water bottle, which relies on UV-C light purification. The double-wall vacuum insulation keeps water hot for 12 hours and cold for 24 hours. It’s perfect whether you’re running errands, hitting the gym, or going for a long hike. Now, you can have purified drinking water no matter where you are.
Learn more about our elite water technology.