Why does the water taste so bad? (Dallas, Arlington: house, construction)

[MountainPharmD]

Many of you who have lived here your whole life may not know this. The water in the DFW area taste awfull! Is there something wrong? Should I be concerned? The water tastes like a mixture of mud, dirty farm pond and sulfur. This cannot be good for you...

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by MountainPharmD

Many of you who have lived here your whole life may not know this. The water in the DFW area taste awfull! Is there something wrong? Should I be concerned? The water tastes like a mixture of mud, dirty farm pond and sulfur. This cannot be good for you...

http://www.sustainlane.com/us-city-r...er_quality.jsp

[FarNorthDallas]

The water is okay to me in the city of Dallas. I think there is another water company for Collin County and other parts.

[portyhead24]

I was about to say, I live in Arlington and actually it is some of the BEST tasting city water I have ever tasted. If you live in one of the other cities like Bedford for instance, I know for a fact their water is horrible. So you can't make a blanket statement for the whole metroplex like that. You have to be specific.

[MaryS80]

In the summer there can be the occasional algae bloom in the lakes, that is really the only thing that will change the taste/appearance region wide. If your water is that bad, it may be the pipes leading up to you house or around them. I had water quality issues where I used to live. While I was living there I actually had dirt in the water coming out of my faucets.

How old is the home you live in?

Are there large trees nearby?

Is there construction or excavation going on near where you live?

Any of these things can make your water taste or smell bad.

[cdelena]

From Dallas water dept...

"All water has its own unique taste and odor characteristics. Dallas, like many other water suppliers, occasionally experiences taste and odor changes. In the summer and early fall, algae in area lakes occasionally give water an earthy taste and odor. Temperature change and excessive rain also can alter taste. These changes do not affect the safety of the water."

[MountainPharmD]

I work in North Dallas and have lived the last two months in West Plano. I just moved to Allen last week. It is not specific to any area, its everywhere. The water taste absolutely terrible at every restaurant I have ate at all as well as the two places I have lived and where I work. Something is wrong when I drink a glass of water and belch up the bad taste for a half hour.

[Spree]

Oh my gosh - the water here (Dallas) is much better than the water we had in FL - and that was with a water softener. I always ask for a glass of water at a restaurant, and I haven't noticed any difference. Where did you move from?

[MurphyPl1]

Perhaps you have an allergy to something that is in our local water system that is causing that. I'd speak to a doctor.

[CallMeLaura]

Some people have the ability to 'taste' water (like cats) which I believe stems from certain enzymes in saliva. I think it also depends greatly on what you're used to. I prefer hard water over soft or reverse osmosis, but find all unfiltered water in Texas and Oklahoma disgusting. Believe it or not, there are worse places though. I've liked the water best in Milwaukee & Chicago.

Tap water has a lot of stuff in it. Chlorine, which is what the cities claim make the water safe, is not terribly good for you. Nor is fluoride. Most of the trace minerals aren't bad for humans, but are for plumbing fixtures. There can be other things in water that OSHA says are fine, but I'm not sure I trust that totally.

There's nothing wrong with you and no need to see a doctor. See a plumber to get a whole house water filter installed, carry or order bottled water, and learn to like drinks with little or no ice.