On many occasions when we drink water directly from a fountain or tap we can notice a metallic taste in our palate from the water we are ingesting, which is why there are people who may even indicate that the water from a certain place tastes bad.
But is that really the taste of water? The answer is no, water is a pure substance, this means that it does not contain any organic or inorganic compounds that give it flavor.
The metallic taste mentioned above may be due to the fact that the water that comes out of said nozzle contains, among others, a high content of iron and other minerals.
Why does water have no taste?
If we go deeper into the matter, we highlight the following.
Water is a chemical compound made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, its molecule is known as (H2O). As we have mentioned before, water is a pure substance, that is, it basically does not contain any organic and/or inorganic compounds that give it flavor.
Furthermore, water is considered a universal solvent, which allows it to dissolve a large number of compounds, but still none of these compounds give it flavor.
In order to perceive some type of flavor from water we use our taste buds. Its main function is to detect the chemical compounds of everything that comes into contact with it. The flavor of foods and drinks is caused by organic compounds such as acids, sugars, lipids and amino acids.
As we mentioned before, water is not made up of organic compounds therefore water itself has no flavor.
How do we flavor water?
Although, there are several options to flavor water. One of the most common is that water acquires flavors on its own due to the presence of minerals, chemicals, microorganisms or metals, among others, in the substance itself. This explains the metallic taste that we mentioned at the beginning.
Another separate case is bottled water. Some companies decide to bottle water from the different springs that we can find on planet Earth. The water flavor in these cases is zero, that is, it should have no flavor.
Many brands often add organic compounds, mainly minerals and salts to give it a sweet or salty flavor.
To expand the sales options in the market, these brands, in addition to adding the organic compounds already mentioned, can add others to give it greater flavor. With this technique we can find water with lemon, orange, peach or mint flavor, among others.
Before drinking water we must take into account its main characteristics that indicate that the water must be colorless, odorless and tasteless.
Therefore, if the water gives off an unpleasant odor or is not transparent, be suspicious of its quality and do not try it.
How do we flavor water?
Although, there are several options to flavor water. One of the most common is that water acquires flavors on its own due to the presence of minerals, chemicals, microorganisms or metals, among others, in the substance itself. This explains the metallic taste that we mentioned at the beginning.
Another separate case is bottled water. Some companies decide to bottle water from the different springs that we can find on planet Earth. The water flavor in these cases is zero, that is, it should have no flavor.
Many brands often add organic compounds, mainly minerals and salts to give it a sweet or salty flavor.
To expand the sales options in the market, these brands, in addition to adding the organic compounds already mentioned, can add others to give it greater flavor. With this technique we can find water with lemon, orange, peach or mint flavor, among others.
Before drinking water we must take into account its main characteristics that indicate that the water must be colorless, odorless and tasteless.
Therefore, if the water gives off an unpleasant odor or is not transparent, be suspicious of its quality and do not try it.
Why does tap water taste bad?
One of the biggest myths around tap water is that “if it tastes bad it is of poor quality”, but what exactly causes the bad taste of water?
Chlorine
According to the EU and WHO, in Western Europe, 99% of public tap water is drinkable. The bad taste of tap water is usually related to the chlorine that is added for its proper consumption.
Chlorine has been used for hundreds of years to keep water safe to drink. Kills microorganisms such as bacteria, germs and protozoa. The objective is to maintain chlorine at a level sufficient to combat these microorganisms throughout the distribution chain. This is important, since although drinking water comes out clean from the purification plants, microorganisms could be incorporated along the way.
After 100 years of research, chlorine has been shown to be generally safe. The most cited source is the Guide to Drinking Water Quality of the World Health Organization (WHO). This guide highlights that, while there may be certain risks, the value of chlorine as a disinfecting agent is unquestionable.
The amount of free chlorine in tap water recommended by the WHO, CDC and EU is 0.2 to 0.5 mg/l. Most people start to taste chlorine at around 0.2 mg/L.
Although there is no evidence that chlorine is bad for your health, it is one of the main causes of the bad taste of tap water. The good news is that 95% or more can be removed with an activated carbon water filter like EcoPro, EcoPro Compact, PitcherPro or BottlePro.
Heavy metals
Heavy metals present in tap water come mainly from old pipes and industrial wastewater. The accumulation of these metals can cause health problems. For this reason, and despite the fact that they are rare in Europe, they are usually listed among the main contaminants in tap water.
The most common heavy metals in tap water are copper, iron and lead, as well as mercury, nickel and zinc. Iron, cobalt, and zinc are considered essential minerals, but the concentrations found in tap water are not significant enough to have nutritional value.
In addition to the health problems they can cause, heavy metals are one of the main causes of bad taste in tap water. Luckily, just like chlorine, heavy metals can be filtered out.
Our EcoPro filter has been tested to reduce the presence of heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury, nickel and manganese by 90% or more. It also reduces the concentration of other healthy minerals such as iron and zinc. Unfortunately, filter technology does not distinguish healthy minerals from unhealthy heavy metals.
Traces of algae
The last cause of bad taste in tap water is traces of algae. While this is less common than chlorine and heavy metals, it can occur (especially in mid-summer or early fall when lake water sources are contaminated).
