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Actually, NYC tap water is actually one of the healthiest, if not the healthiest, of the tap waters in the US. The only tap water in the city that might NOT be healthy to drink is the tap water in some eastern queens neighborhoods that comes from wells, rather than the reservoir upstate. Your friend is grossly misinformed. Personally, NYC tap water tastes just fine for me, but then again, I grew up here. However, the few years I've lived elsewhere, I couldn't stomach the taste of their tap water, especially the few months I lived in Conn.
However, depending on the age of the building you are staying in, it might might rusted pipes giving your water an extra funky taste.
Astorian31 is correct. What happens though is the water coming from the reservoir tastes much better until it reaches your home for two reasons - a few chemicals to remove potential parasites and pathogens and pipes. As there are MANY buildings in NYC built before 1970, you may pick up some odd tastes from the pipes. I also have read when the water was evaluated by experts in this field - they would revel in the taste of the NYC water when very lightly treated and then when it came from the tap say some samples tasted like lightly treated swimming pool water!
Nevertheless, I recall family from Phoenix who raved about the water from my family's house in North Jersey - they said it tasted so good compared to their tap.
The tap water is good but not as good as it was a couple decades ago when it was voted as tasting better than any bottled water or any other municipal water supply. It is rare among U.S. water supplies in that the EPA still allows it to be delivered in an unfiltered state. I have noticed some falloff from the excellent taste of 1970.
To my taste it is almost chlorine free and I can see the effect on my need to clean off the layer of algae that quickly forms on my new toilet bowl at least twice a week...this is a good thing as algae are benign and poisons to kill them are not.
Personally I think Jersey City has the edge on the deliciousness of their tap water (from far away from a couple Watchung Mountain reservoirs.) I have done back to back blind comparisons and most of my friends agree.
Personally I would never live somewhere where I could not drink the municipal water and I would NEVER waste money week after week and haul gallons and gallons of plastic water for drinking.
New York water is still very good, so enjoy it while it lasts. Once they start gas fracking big time in the Delaware watershed we will have to say goodbye to our good water.
I couldn't swear I could taste a difference between NYC water and NJ water (my water company pulls from some of the same sources as J.C.; I'm in the Watchung "mountains"). Try Philadelphia water sometime (a.k.a. "Schuylkill Punch"); it's like drinking pool water. It's typically yellowish and burns when it goes down.
My Mom was raised in Brooklyn and always said the water was the best there. I dated a guy from Brooklyn a few years ago, and I agree. I was raised in NJ, and the water was good where I was too. But NY has the BEST tasting for sure.
I drink tap water everyday. It's really good compared to nearly any other water I've tried OOS.
^Agree. Florida has awful water. I know someone who manages a water plant down there and she said she would NEVER drink the water in Florida. Not only that but NY water makes my hair feel so nice and in Florida my hair looks and feels terrible.
Since ever I arrived here I was stunned by how differently it tastes, is it because the system is old, or why would it taste so weird?
My friends also said it is not really good to drink, eg a health hazard?
edit: it shouldnt be what, it should be why ^^
Actually New York has some of the best water in the country if not the best. If it has a funny taste it's because of the pipes. Run it through a brita filter and you will have excellent water with a fresh taste.
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