Before water enters your home, it picks up bad contaminants from different sources like private wells, underground utility pipes, or even from your local municipal water source.
That’s why various municipalities add some chlorine to eliminate the problems caused by these bad contaminants. But this only makes your drinking water worse in taste.
Although you may not be able to see the contaminants with the naked eye, when you taste your home’s water, you will definitely feel something isn’t right.
Today in this blog post article we are going to discuss why your house water taste’s bad and how to improve your drinking water taste. So, without wasting any time let’s get started!
Also, read our latest blog post about Types of Contaminants in Water & Their Impact on Human Health
Why Does My Home’s Water Taste be Bad?
There are multiple reasons why your home’s drinking water taste is poor.
For people who mostly drink city water, the taste of chlorination is extremely strong, while other people may find the taste of their drinking water bitter, metallic or salty.
These tastes of water can be the result of the high level of total dissolved solids from naturally occurring minerals and organic sources like plankton, silt, and decaying leaves.
Moreover, a high level of total dissolved solids (TDS) also results in water runoff, fertilizers, and industrial waste.
Most Common Water Tastes
Some common tastes that drinking water has all over the world are as follows:
Sulfur Taste:
Water with sulfur taste is the most common water taste and odor problem that we normally found. This is usually caused by hydrogen sulfide (H2S) which is a colorless gas that is naturally occurred in drinking water and is commonly found in private wells.
Chlorine Taste:
If you are living in a city area and drink tap water, then you have probably experienced water with a bleach-like taste, while you are out for a family dinner.
Although, this taste can vary throughout the year, especially during rainy seasons. Because in rainy seasons the municipal community of the cities puts higher concentration of chlorine & chloramines into the drinking water to eliminate bacteria & other bad contaminants.
Metallic Taste:
Basically, a metallic taste is an indication of either a high concentration of iron or a low pH level of water. For iron, you’ll commonly see iron/rust staining around the drains. But for acidic water, you may see some blue-green staining around the fixtures.
To identify this, a simple water test would be enough. But if you’ve already installed a reverse osmosis system for your drinking water, and you are still experiencing an odor taste, then this could be a sign that your RO system isn’t properly balanced.
Tart Taste:
When the water coming out of your tap has a tart aftertaste, then this may be due to the higher concentration of organic minerals called tannins. Some signs of tannins include yellowish color and earthy odor. It is commonly found in well water.
How To Improve Bad Taste of Your Drinking Water
If you’re looking to improve the taste of your drinking water, then the most convenient way is to install a purifier or water filter to remove all the impurities that are mostly responsible for causing bad taste.
Below, we have discussed some useful ways with a brief description, to make your decision process easier.
Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System:
An RO system filters water by using a multistage process in order to eliminate bad contaminants & other impurities from water. Moreover, one stage in reverse osmosis is the process of removing total dissolved solids by passing the drinking water through a semipermeable membrane.
While a sediment filter eliminates dust, dirt, and even rust particles from water. A reverse osmosis system also reduces volatile organic compounds including chlorine and other bad contaminants that can affect the taste of your drinking water.
In simple words, an RO system is an ideal option for eliminating impurities & harmful minerals from water. But the downside is that it also eliminates good minerals from your water along with bad minerals.
Carbon Water Filters:
A carbon water filter uses carbon that has been activated to have a more large surface area. While there are tiny pores along the surface that allows for the absorption of chemicals as the water runs over a bed of activated carbon.
Carbon filters eliminate a huge amount of bad contaminants like chlorine. But keep in mind, they aren’t designed to remove inorganic minerals including heavy metals, microorganisms, and sulfate.
Alkaline Water Filters:
An alkaline water filter uses electrolytes for both acidic & alkaline components from drinking water. These filters add essential minerals back to the water.
Moreover, these filters also adjust the pH level of your water. and the best thing is that alkaline filters work great as compared to other filters.
Ceramic Filters:
Ceramic filters work by passing drinking water through a hard ceramic casing with tiny holes that makes it really difficult for contaminants to into your drinking water.
Some ceramic filters come equipped with activated carbon inside, allowing for a double-step filtering process. These filters are perfect for eliminating dust, dirt, and harmful bacteria from drinking water.
Ultrafiltration Systems:
These systems force your water to pass through a single hollow fiber membrane that serves as a filter for impurities, especially for microorganisms.
Moreover, these filter systems also eliminate viruses & parasites while retaining the essential minerals of water that an RO system will remove.
Frequently Asked Questions About How To Purify Drinking Water
Which is the simplest method to purify drinking water?
The simplest way to purify drinking water is to boil it for several minutes. Because high temperatures cause bacteria & other harmful viruses to eliminate.
Does boiling your water before drinking remove impurities?
Yes! Boiling water before drinking is an effective way of killing bacteria, and other organic & inorganic impurities. Although, this doesn’t eliminate contaminants like chlorine, iron, fluorine, and lead.
Can I use my coffee filter as a water filter?
Yes! A coffee filter can be a great option for filtering water. However, a coffee filter can’t make water safer on its own. Instead, it can be a handy component in water filtering.