I'm curious to hear opinions on drinking tap water versus drinking filtered water.
I have used a Brita water filter jug for a few years. But in the past three or four months, I seem to notice more small black "flakes" -- which I assume are from the carbon filter? -- not only in the top filtering part of the jug, but sometimes falling into the stuff I drink. When I open a new filter, I follow the directions precisely before I use it in the jug, so I don't understand why these pieces keep showing up.
So now I'm considering just drinking tap water. It's cheaper than buying bottled water all the time. What do you all think?
I personally used to use a PUR filter and not the Britta. I didn't like the way they were utilized. I don't use it in a 'pitcher' type thing but right on my tap.
I moved to the country and our smaller 'city' water from the tap is just fantastic so I don't even use my PUR filter anymore.
The only time I buy bottled water is when I am out and about.
Tap water in the United States is safe. We're lucky for that, and yet people insist on spending so much money on filters and bottled water. Bottled water is typically just tap water from a soda factory, so don't think you're actually getting anything better than that rom your own kitchen I did use a Britta pitcher when I was in college simply because I didn't like the taste of our water right from the tap, but I don't mind the water where I am now. If you like the flavor of your tap water, then why wouldn't you drink it?
I also prefer the taste of bottled water. It tastes better and the bottles are convinient. We recyle, so I don't feel so bad about using so many bottles.
I don't like the taste of our water either. We have a counter top filter in our kitchen that hooks up to the faucet. (Not that I particularly like the looks of it, but I love the water!)
I had to chime in here. I'm lucky enough to live in a state that has fabulous tasting tap water. Everytime I visit the "mainland" I cringe when I'm brushing my teeth and have to rinse with the chlorine-tasting water, yuck! I'm always happy to get home and drink "tasteless" water
I buy bottled water for my office but sometimes just refill those bottles from the tap and chill. I've used those faucet-attached filters as well, but to me, it doesn't really affect the taste at all, at least where I live.
I say if you can stand the taste of your tap water, save your money and drink up!
I can’t stand the tap water. Just one 8 oz is enough to almost make me gag and to think if I would have to drink another cup would cause me to gag. I defiantly drink bottled water and there is a difference compare what comes out of my faucet. I would like to find away to get the same clean taste out of my faucet though.
I use a filter on my tap because I've seen sediment in our water. Yuck. I also think it gives it a cleaner taste so it's easier to drink. I used to use a Brita pitcher and loved it. However, my personal tastes have changed and I now use a Pur ultimate filter on my tap and always use filtered water for cooking. I drink bottled spring water now, from a company that really does get mountain spring water (not NY tap water, lol).
We have our own well, and the water tastes great! At work I drink city water and it's okay. But I have lived places where the water tastes nasty. It may be safe to drink but certainly not tasty. I used to use a Brita filter which worked pretty well, esp if the water was refrigerated. It all depends on where you get your water. I know that some places have tap water that tastes heavily of chlorine - yuck! I buy bottled water when I need to, but I hate using all that plastic...
I can't stick the taste of the water from my taps. All I can smell is chlorine. I have a water line through a filter in my fridge, and that cleans up the taste for me. It also chills the water, and I'm very happy with it.
I usually fill a bottle myself when I'm going out, but I will buy the bottled stuff on the occasions I forget.
Where I live when I'm going to school, I drink the tap water, it tastes fine to me. When I'm in my hometown at my parents' place, I drink from one of those Brita pitchers you fill up and put in the fridge, because the water there has a copper taste that I don't like.
In response to the person who was saying they don't feel guilty because they recycle... lessthansign3... I just wanted to say that it is still bad for the environment. Out of the 3 Rs, "Recycle" is the least helpful one! It is still better than throwing them in the trash though. I definitely drink out of a lot of plastic bottles too so I am not criticizing, but we shouldn't kid ourselves that we are doing some big favour for the Earth by recycling... it is a lesser evil only.
It's funny how less than 10 years ago it seemed like no one ever bought bottled water. The idea over paying $1, $2 or even $3 (at the movies!) for a bottle of water would have seemed outrageous! Now it's almost expected.
In response to the person who was saying they don't feel guilty because they recycle... lessthansign3... I just wanted to say that it is still bad for the environment. Out of the 3 Rs, "Recycle" is the least helpful one! It is still better than throwing them in the trash though. I definitely drink out of a lot of plastic bottles too so I am not criticizing, but we shouldn't kid ourselves that we are doing some big favour for the Earth by recycling... it is a lesser evil only.
THANK YOU! That video clip is from a show on Showtime called Penn & Teller's Bullsh!t. They bust up a lot of socially-accepted myths and gimmicks. In addition to the "bottled water" episode, they also did an episode on recycling. Did you know it is actually both more energy-efficient and less expensive to creat new plastic from scratch than it is to recycle old plastic? Through their research and investigations, they concluded that the ONLY really helpful material to recycle is aluminum cans. Everything else (plastic, paper, etc.) costs more in energy, time, and resources (financial and labor).
tap water vs. filtered water
I did use a Britta pitcher when I was in college simply because I didn't like the taste of our water right from the tap, but I don't mind the water where I am now. If you like the flavor of your tap water, then why wouldn't you drink it? 
All I can smell is chlorine. I have a water line through a filter in my fridge, and that cleans up the taste for me. It also chills the water, and I'm very happy with it.
