Hi all!

I've been having this argument with my Father for ages. He says that water doesn't taste of anything, but I insist it does!

I understand that the taste of water (see, it does taste, it tastes like... water!) is all the guff that's diluted in it.

I mean, I've had the most bland selections of food that the military can often, so I know what something 'tasteless' actually tastes like!

But still, I can't believe (or maybe I can't comprehend) that even the purest of H2O doesn't taste of ANYTHING! I mean it HAS to taste of SOMETHING surely?

Otherwise, how would we know it was water we were drinking? :confused:

J

I think water from the tap tastes a bit earthy.

First thing in the morning, a bit like diluted chlorine

I was with you so far... If I'm drinking it from the tap I can taste a difference. Having lived in a few places in the Uk I think I could tell my home towns water from somewhere else I lived! So this would suggest a 'taste'!

However, I don't think filtered water does have a taste!

Damn that Brita filter!

Distilled water should not have a taste. Any other water will depending on mineral content and chemical additives like chlorine. My grandparents had well water laced with iron. Very bitter stuff.

Hello iam:

Pure water doesn't taste. But, most tap water isn't pure, so one can taste the additives or what wasn't removed.

However, one tastes more with one's nose than one's tongue. If there's a smell in the air, even pure water will taste like it.

excon

Damn that Brita filter!

iAMfromHuntersBar... I think you have told me in the past your problem with drinking water is you associate it with a hangover? I can't imagine that tastes very nice!

I just can't imagine putting anything in my mouth and it not tasting of anything!

So could I say that water tastes of nothing? So it does actually taste of something... nothing!

Hello iam:

Pure water doesn't taste. But, most tap water isn't pure, so one can taste the additives or what wasn't removed.

However, one tastes more with one's nose than one's tongue. If there's a smell in the air, even pure water will taste like it.

excon

Ex,
I agree with you on this.. totally.

We rarely get pure water to drink,what with the filtering and additives and what nots in the water.

You should try the water in New Orleans. You can cut it with a knife!

I was raised in southeastern Arkansas and our city water came from a deep well. It was called "soft" water - soap suds up like crazy and it had what I now consider a "sweet" taste.

Once I moved East tap water definitely has a taste, but I think it is from the chemical treatment.

I suppose water has as much taste as air does. It shouldn't have any, but often does due to outside influences.

Where I used to live water was so salty
A time came when no one can drink tap water so they made distilled water we had to buy it in litres to drink.


malb

Thanks for all your input into this question!

I love the fact the 'air' should be odourless, but almost never is! I hadn't thought of that! Cheers Emland!

Water out of the tap has a device called an aerator on the faucet that mixes it with air (oxygenizes) it to improve it's taste. The same water put into a bottle and let sit would taste differently. And a plastic (as opposed to glass) bottle would give off chemicals that would affect taste, just like drinking water out of the gardenhose tastes different. Rainwater contains ozone that affects the taste, water treatments or river water in the city,vs. well water would affect taste, if you have copper water pipes and don't let the water run awhile, used the water standing in the pipes it would taste metallic which I can always tell because it makes the fillings in my teeth vibrate. And I can tell if waterwell is too close to your septic system by the taste, ewwww. Hooray for deep sandstone well water that is the absolute best.

Think if it this way we have 6 flavors we can taste. Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, savory and probably calcium. Water shouldn't be sweet. Water shouldn't sour. Water shouldn't be salty. Water shouldn't be bitter. Water shouldn't be savory. Water shouldn't have calcium in it. So based on that water shouldn't have a taste. We might taste the other stuff in it but the water itself should have no flavor that we can detect.

I hate water unless it is not tap and ICE cold.

I can't imagine paying that much for water as much as you do for soda or more.
But I would imagine the better quality waters must have some type of flavor since they can get really expensive.

9 of the Most Expensive Bottles of Water in the World | Campus Squeeze (http://www.campussqueeze.com/post/9-Most-Expensive-Bottled-Waters.aspx)

I drink only distilled water and even then it has to have a squeeze of lemon or else it gags me like a dental impression ( you know, that goo they put in a tray and make you bite down on "gently" while it runs down the back of your throat and your brain is going 'Wait, I never tasted that, bring it back... ' Ugh

I think water has a taste. It's the minerals in the water that satisfy your need for those minerals when you taste deep well water.
Distilled water is pure, the minerals are removed when it is distilled.It has no taste unless you call that "flat" taste a taste. If you drink distilled water you should take mineral supplements to replace the minerals so your bones don't break and your teeth rot.

Please don't drink the water or any other fluids from the soft, cheap plastic. Among other things, it leeches phthalates into the water from the plastic and it acts like a male hormone on the body. Children don't usually need more male hormone in their diet. It's just not good for them or us. Use a Brita or water filter. Activated charcoal will remove just about any contaminants. Also, in case you didn't already know(I didn't), Using your hot water for cooking and drinking can give you way too much copper. Hot water is corrosive on copper pipes. You may not have copper pipes and no need to worry.

The landfills are full of plastic. Do a Starbucks and use stainless steel cups. Aquafina is coming out with a new bottle that is only half plastic. Most bottled water is only tap water and they are not required to label with the truth. Some do, some don't.I did some research on the "net" and wrote about it. I will provide a copy if you want and I can find out out how to post it. Here is an interesting web site.
http://www.ehsa.com/ehshome/Drwaterhow2choose.php

I heard the xenotoxins from the bottles leeching acts like female hormone. That is also why synthetic or man altered soy is not good for you either.

http://www.enviroblog.org/2007/10/caution-these-seven-household-items-may-feminize-baby-boys.html

Hormone-mimics In Plastic Water Bottles Act As Functional Estrogens (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326100714.htm)

Xeno-Estrogen in Plastic Water Bottles : Ahabloging.com (http://ahabloging.com/2009/06/xeno-estrogen-in-plastic-water-bottles-3.html)

I knew about the soy milk and young boys should not drink a lot of it. I believe it is true because of personal experience with "hot flashes". I did not know about the estrogen problem with phalates but it does disrupt the human hormones, it's just that the testosterone is affected the most. Here is a quote from the NRDC.com Subject water.
International Issues
Issues: Water

1.Isn't bottled water safer than tap water?
2.Is bottled water actually unsafe?
3.Could the plastic in water bottles pose a health risk?
4.How can I find out where my bottled water comes from?
5.How can I determine if bottled water is really just tap water?
6.What action can I take to improve bottled water safety?
7.How does drinking bottled water affect the environment?
8.If I drink tap water should I use a filter and what types of filters are most effective?
9.How can I obtain test results on my tap water?


------------------------------------------------------------------------------



1. Isn't bottled water safer than tap water?

No, not necessarily. NRDC conducted a four-year review of the bottled water industry and the safety standards that govern it, including a comparison of national bottled water rules with national tap water rules, and independent testing of over 1,000 bottles of water. Our conclusion is that there is no assurance that just because water comes out of a bottle it is any cleaner or safer than water from the tap. And in fact, an estimated 25 percent or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle -- sometimes further treated, sometimes not.





2. Is bottled water actually unsafe?

Most bottled water appears to be safe. Of the bottles we tested, the majority proved to be high quality and relatively free of contaminants. The quality of some brands was spotty, however, and such products may pose a health risk, primarily for people with weakened immune systems (such as the frail elderly, some infants, transplant and cancer patients, or people with HIV/AIDS). About 22 percent of the brands we tested contained, in at least one sample, chemical contaminants at levels above strict state health limits. If consumed over a long period, some of these contaminants could cause cancer or other health problems.




3. Could the plastic in water bottles pose a health risk?

Recent research suggests that there could be cause for concern, and that the issue should be studied closely. Studies have shown that chemicals called phthalates, which are known to disrupt testosterone anoned other horms, can leach into bottled water over time. One study found that water that had been stored for 10 weeks in plastic and in glass bottles contained phthalates, suggesting that the chemicals could be coming from the plastic cap or liner. Although there are regulatory standards limiting phthalates in tap water, there are no legal limits for phthalates in bottled water -- the bottled water industry waged a successful campaign opposing the FDA proposal to set a legal limit for these chemicals
...
I am in the process of posting a blog about the water and what to beware of. It will be on googles Blogger... LitteralleyBlogger