Years ago, there was a study of Fort Collins city tap water comparing it to bottled water. Fort Collins water won hands down, even though a certain amount of Giardia, a protozoan parasite that affects the GI system, is allowed in the water. If you are used to a small amount of Giardia, nothing happens. It’s like when we used to walk our dogs through the vet hospital at CSU for a ‘street dose’ of germs to become immune to them.
The water in my Texas town is pretty nasty tasting. I’ve been buying cases of bottled water. I don’t really like bottled water. I used to buy it for the bottles to fill with FC water after my cat, Fletcher (1987-2000,) was caught drinking out of my glass. Ish. Frank does this also.
I just got a reverse osmosis system for drinking and cooking water, as well as for ice cubes. It is delicious. I also got a Culligan (R) system for water softening. The water is pretty hard here. Now, I use less soap for washing clothes and dishes. My whites won’t turn yellow, as if I’d notice.
I went to college with one of the Culligan daughters, but I don’t think she’d remember.
The best thing about the reverse osmosis system is that the cats don’t have to drink water with so many minerals in it. Also, I fell like I am going green without so many water bottles around. I’ll save what I have left for my trip to Tucson later this month to see my ponies and ride. Talk about chugging water!
I still remember one summer during my childhood in suburban Chicago when you turned on the tap and foamy water came out. Nasty. It wasn’t even in 1967 when all the alewives (a type of fish) washed up on the beaches, turning the beaches into a rotting, stinking pile of sand. I think, though, that the worst drinking water I’ve ever tasted was in New Orleans. West Texas doesn’t even come close.