[mixmastamyk]

Have seen a few comments about US water quality. It may be good in general, but the water here in Los Angeles is horrible (though sterile?). I grew up in Ventura County and never thought twice about tap water (and laughed at others too) until I moved here.

Part of it is LA's fault, they use so much chlorine it smells like you're drinking from a jacuzzi. Even after letting it sit for a day or two for the chlorine/ozone to dissipate, it still tastes bad in a similar way. I'm not sure what the other minerals/contaminants are. Finally, our current building is old and we get red rusty water first thing in the morning once a week or so.

So yes, we filter our water before drinking, pretentious or not. We have a PUR 3-stage attached to the sink, and it costs a bit more than I'd like, but honestly ~10 bucks a month is nothing compared to the night/day improvement we get from it. I hope the claims about removing heavy metals are true for my daughter's sake.

[dljsjr]

Yeah. A lot of people are up in arms about the fact that this might only mask taste, since it's nothing more than carbon-based filtration.

Personally, I live in Escambia County, Florida... home of the worst water in the country, ranked. I don't know a single person that lives here who doesn't own a Brita filter because our water is nearly unpalatable. You will actually get strange looks if a local sees you drinking the tap water. And yes, I realize that the fact it is palatable at all puts us in a much better position than a great deal of the world. But why is it a crime for me to want my water to not taste like utter shit?

I can understand the general dismay at the strength of the claims being made. But don't dump all over the product because it's "just" a fancy Brita filter. It looks great, it makes the water taste better, and compostable isn't a terrible sell either.

[ekianjo]

Have you considered buying 20L water tanks from fresh sources as well? I guess that is probably the most expensive option but it might be the "safest" since they probably test the water thoroughly before shipping it.

[mixmastamyk]

I did schlep the 5/2.5 gallons around for a year or two, objecting to the upfront cost of the filter, but once I gave in I quickly regretted taking so long.

Fresh sources sounds nice, but I'm lazy at heart. The alternative, having it delivered while living on a water planet (a stones throw from the Pacific) just seems too environmentally hostile.

[ekianjo]

Well there are many things we are doing which are not environmentally-friendly, but it's not like they will build road and new trucks just to deliver your water. They use existing commutes and transportation pathways to deliver it, among other things. Most cities in the world now are heavily dependent on everyday delivery of food, water and other critical supplies - it is part of the system and it is not going back.