No Laughing When Tap Water Tastes Funny

Unpleasant tap water can be really irritating to deal with. As much of a problem as it is to have water that tastes bad to drink, what about if that water tastes so bad that cooking with it seems like a bad idea? Today's question comes from a reader who's having a problem with bad tasting water:

"My tap water tastes awful. I have two filtering pitchers in my fridge so that I always have water to drink and so I can cook with it if I need to. Is there something I can do about this?"

Varying levels of mineral content in water are a big factor in the taste difference. However, metallic tasting water may be the result of iron or copper leaching from pipes. Chlorine tastes can result from too much disinfectant being used by the water supplier or the disinfectant interacting with organic material within the plumbing system.

If the problem is a chlorine or metallic taste and it happens with the tap water in the entire house, it is most likely an issue with the water supplier. Contact the water supplier about the problem or get the well water tested.

When the taste is only coming from a single tap and it goes away after running the water for a few minutes, flush the system or call a plumber.

Another possible solution is to purchase an under the counter water purifier. A purifier with a high quality activated carbon filter will remove heavy metals, bacteria and other contaminates that can cause odors and bad tastes. Filters like this with a replaceable cartridge typically cost between $150 and $200 for the unit.