How's your tapwater?

[Joey Shabadoo]

Some years ago we switched to bottled water in our household. We were living on Arran at the time and had complained that the water tasted "funny". The man from the Water Board came out with a testing kit and, whilst he was setting it up, condescendingly explained that Scotland has the purest water in Europe, our particular water came from a local aquifer etc etc. He then explained that he was going to add a small amount of water to a test tube of chemicals which would indicate the presence of contaminants. "It might get a faint pink hue if you hold it to the light". The look of shock on his face when it turned claret was a picture. He re-did the test, same result. He changed his equipment, same result. Basically, the chlorine was off the scale. There were lots of promises and investigations but when we left Arran a couple of years later, the water was still foul.

We've been using bottled water for 15 years now and I don't know if the water supply has got worse over the years or if I've become more attuned but I find I can't thole coffee made with tapwater in friend's and family's homes. I even notice the difference when cooking pasta in tapwater - yeuch.

Last week a friend was diagnosed with bladder cancer and she was advised to stop drinking tapwater - there's a link apparently.

So how's your tapwater? Taste good or a bit iffy?

 

[vickster]

Fine, especially when made into tea or coffee (I run through a Brita to avoid so much scale as water hard is here) Guess i'm used to it, if drunk neat it does need to be cold from the tap for me

I've never wasted money on bottled water while at home (ok occasionally fizzy) Also, not least because of the environmental impact of all the plastic bottles even if they go into the 'recycling' (the sceptic in me is not convinced they all get fully recycled and reused)

 

[the_mikey]

Watery. I misread the title as 'how's your tapeworm?"

 

[fossyant]

Finest Cumbrian and Peaks water here in Manchester (we've got a great big pipe /aquafier running from Cumbria - it's made out of brick, and built in Victorian times.

I do notice other parts of the UK the water isn't as good. Horrible down South, and not as good in North Wales.

 

[Mo1959]

Lovely here as it’s from the local reservoir. I can smell chlorine when I turn on the cold tap fully though.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Our tapwater is so good 7 people have already drunk it before it gets to us.

 

[BrumJim]

Good clear Welsh water here, that comes down from Elan valley by gravity alone, thanks to those Victorian Engineers. Kettles last longer than residents and soap sales per person must be some of the lowest in the country. However I still miss the taste of Leicester water, even though the hot water system is furrier than a cat café.

Standards for tap water are higher than bottled water, so more than happy with the council pop here. With added flouride too.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Our tapwater is so good 7 people have already drunk it before it gets to us.

Ours is good. So good it's been passed by 7 people upstream.

It's also stopped dripping as I finally sourced one of those cartridge valve thingies of which there appear to be millions. I did have to file a bit off tho' as I'd had enough chasing around

 

[Moon bunny]

Finest Cumbrian and Peaks water here in Manchester (we've got a great big pipe /aquafier running from Cumbria - it's made out of brick, and built in Victorian times.

I do notice other parts of the UK the water isn't as good. Horrible down South, and not as good in North Wales.

We have our own reservoirs (South lakes) lovely tasting water. Occasionally during droughts we get some from the Windermere to Manchester pipe, and can tell instantly. We keep the good stuff from the high tarns to ourselves.

 

[PeteXXX]

I don't drink raw tap water..
Fish pee in it!

 

[Levo-Lon]

Britta filtered, or its limescale taste.

 

[Milkfloat]

Mines gets filtered by the fridge at home and the water cooler at work. I cannot say I notice any difference when I drink elsewhere (other than the temperature. The water that I really cannot stand is in Chicago, I have no idea what they are adding to it, but it just tastes of chemicals.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I also run my tapwater through a Brita for making tea, it's mainly to stop the kettle from being furred up but I find it improves the tea as well.
Otherwise I drink a fair bit of water straight from the tap and I do like it, it tastes good. I never bother with bottled... well I say never, I have bought the odd one if I'm out somewhere and there's no real choice but I try to avoid it.

I do like Scottish / some northern water (from softer areas), it makes better tea and I find it's better to wash in, not so drying to the skin. It's a treat to have a shave while working in Scotland, soap actually lathers up.

 

[MontyVeda]

Fine up here in North Lancs... I always keep a big bottle of tap water in the fridge, just for those who don't drink tap water. It's so much better, they tell me

 

[mynydd]

Lovely thanks......... from our own 50 metre bore hole high in the welsh hills. drilled it 18 months ago after years of using a dodgy spring that ran dry frequently (no mains water where I live) got it tested and were told its perfect to drink.... tastes wonderful, though does leave blue stains in the bath