There are many things that can give drinking water bad taste. It could be chemicals used to treat your drinking water, environmental contaminants or even concentrations of metal that have been cast off in plumbing pipes.
Some of the culprits behind bad tasting, smelly drinking water could be:;
- Dissolved solids which cause a musty, earthy wood taste;
- Chlorine/Chloramines used in the municipal water treatment process;
- Metallic tastes and smells from mercury, lead, arsenic and iron seeping into the water supply.
What are Dissolved Solids in Drinking Water?
Dissolved solids, or Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), refer to any compounds left in the water after normal treatment and filtration. TDS in drinking water originate from natural sources, sewage, urban run-off, industrial wastewater, chemicals used in the water treatment process, and plumbing pipes.
TDS can make your drinking water taste bitter, salty, or metallic and may have unpleasant odors. It can interfere with the taste your food and beverages and make your water less thirst quenching.
Catalytic Carbon and Reverse Osmosis will eliminate this problem.
The Smell and Taste Chlorine (Chloramine) in my Water
Since the 1850s, chlorine has been used as a disinfectant to kill harmful bacteria in water or in the pipes that transport it, helping to eliminate a number of 19th century threats to public health. It is essential at the treatment plant and in the water distribution system, but it is no longer necessary once the water reaches your home.
Chlorine tastes and smells bad. It dries skin and hair, fades clothes (bleach is made of chlorine) and can dry out the rubber seals in appliances, shortening their lives.
Recently, most municipal water providers have switch over to a combination of Chlorine and Ammonia (Chloramine) to treat water. Chloramine lasts longer, to try and ensure that the water, that must travel through pipes, to holding tanks and then pipes again to house, remains disinfected. What if you are the first provided? With any disinfectant, there are serious byproducts, Total TriHalomethanes (TTHMs) and Haloacetic Acids (HAAs) are both known carcinogens and theses are both byproducts of Chloramine. If you see these on your Municipal Water Quality report, these must be removed at your house.
Catalytic Carbon (only this type of carbon) and Reverse Osmosis will eliminate this problem.
My Water has a Metallic Taste and Smell
Metals, like copper, iron, and lead found in tap water have their own unique smells and tastes. Usually copper and iron appear in low concentrations and are not harmful, although they can discolor your water. Rusty brown water is a result of high amounts of iron. Iron will stain and destroy everything from pipes to appliances and your favorite t-shirt; however, it is more of a taste concern than health concern.
Lead is a more serious concern, because it can be deadly.
Catalytic Carbon and a reverse osmosis system will eliminate these problems.
Pure, Clean, Odor free water!
