I never drink tap water, but this is for the people who do... Houston is rated in top 10 WORST... http://green.yahoo.com/blog/the_conscious_consumer/110/cities-with-best-and-worst-tap-water.html How safe is the water that flows out of your tap? The answer very much depends on where you live. It's now easier than ever for consumers to find out what's in their tap water. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) today released the results of a three-year investigation of municipal water supplies across the U.S. The research and advocacy group looked at water quality tests performed by water utilities since 2004 and created an extensive database that contains info on the contaminants found in 48,000 communities in 45 states. EWG also rated 100 big city (population over 250,000) water utilities. Below are the top and bottom results. Cities with the best water: 1. Arlington, TX 2. Providence, RI 3. Fort Worth, TX 4. Charleston, SC 5. Boston, MA 6. Honolulu, HI 7. Austin, TX 8. Fairfax County, VA 9. St. Louis, MO 10. Minneapolis, MN Cities with the worst water: 1. Pensacola, FL 2. Riverside, CA 3. Las Vegas, NV 4. Riverside County, CA 5. Reno, NV 6. Houston, TX 7. Omaha, NE 8. North Las Vegas, NV 9. San Diego, CA 10. Jacksonville, FL Your city not on the list? Here is the full 100-city listing. If you live in one of the few areas that weren't investigated, you can get an annual report of what's in your public drinking water. If your water comes from a well, then see the EPA's guidelines for those who use private wells. The results of the investigation raise some concerns about municipal water supplies in the U.S. EWG says 316 different contaminants were found in the nation's tap water. The group also points out that more than half of those contaminants aren't regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Establishing more effective source water protection programs and developing enforceable government standards for contaminants would go a long way toward improving the nation's water supply, according to the EWG. In the meantime, no one is suggesting that you go out and start drinking bottled water (although, of course, in emergency situations it can be necessary). Experts still agree that drinking tap is preferable to drinking bottled water. Bottled water is much more expensive than tap, it takes a huge toll on the planet, and it's not necessarily any safer than tap. "Bottled water is not regulated in the same way as tap water," says Olga Naidenko, a senior scientist at EWG. "With bottled water, consumers often do not know what they are getting, and 25 to 40 percent of bottled water on the market is simply tap poured into a bottle." Knowing what's in your water is the key. Once you know which contaminants are present, you can find the best filter to get rid of them. EWG put together a thorough buying guide to help you find an affordable water filter that works for you. You can read the guidelines or search for products based on contaminants you want to get rid of.
I was in Arlington a few months ago, and the water is terrible. I walked around the campus of UTA and nobody drank from the fountains. Maybe good water tastes bad?
You seriously think the chlorine taste is gross? Try our water here in College station, every week each one of my other 3 room mates and myself by 4 jugs of water for drinking purposes, there is not telling what is in the water but it tastes so attrocious nobody can drink it. Oh and whenever you take a shower or wash your hands the water is slippery and you can never tell when you've washed the soap off. I'm guessing its some kind of base in there..no idea why it is though
Every public water system is required to send out an annual report of it's drinking water to it's consumers. You don't have to look for it. The report will come to you. As the manager of a public water system, this is a subject near and dear to my heart.
That's soft water causing the slippery feeling. That's a good thing, it means there are very few minerals in the water. However, that can also cause the taste to be off, because the taste of drinking water is affected by the minerals in it.
I have to say the tap water here in Boulder, CO is the absolute worst I have had personally. It has a distinct taste. If it sits out for too long it becomes undrinkable. IDK what it is, but it is disgusting.
The taste of drinking water is different all over the country. A lot of factors make up the taste of water. So when many of you say "the water taste terrible", what you really mean is "the water taste different" than what you grew up with. Having said that, there are areas where the water is just flat out bad. West Texas has a reputation for bad tasting water. There are other areas that have a reputation for bad water as well. Milwaukee's public water supply is safe, yet everyone is scared to drink it because of the Cryptosporidium outbreak that killed over 100 people in 1993.
I generally trust tap water, which is heavily regulated, more than bottled water which has little to no regulation at all. Toronto has some of the best tasting tap water I've ever had.
I'm sure San Antonio is up there too... but it's different here. The city owns and operates the utilities here... so I don't know what the deal is. Though it is cheap.
