#tapwater
There’s nothing like a cool, refreshing glass of water, except when it’s nothing of the sort. Sometimes, you go to the sink, fill a glass, take a swig, and—ew. We mean, like, really, ewwwww.
In certain instances, all that’s going on is that you’re somewhere you aren’t used to being. Tap water actually tastes different in different places due to the mineral composition of the rocks in the ground it has traveled through, which naturally varies from place to place.
But what if you’re exactly where you always have been and go to grab your regular glass of water, and it’s just no good? It could be due to a few things, like seasonal weather changes. In Los Angeles, many residents recently complained of a “musty” smell and dirt-like taste coming from their tap water. The city’s Department of Water and Power claimed it was due to the natural, seasonal presence of algae, and did not pose any public health risk.
If the water has a bleach-like, chemical taste, it could be due to chlorine or some kind of chemical disinfectant. In the U.S., roughly 98 percent of all tap water has been treated with chlorine to kill unwanted bacteria and microbes, but it’s not meant to affect the taste.
In larger amounts, water treated with chlorine can have a bleach-like scent or taste. This will occasionally happen in residential areas close to a water treatment plant that covers a large area, as they may treat the water slightly more heavily to compensate for the long distances it needs to travel. In other instances, high demand on the system can lead to a bleach-heavy flavor that would have otherwise faded with time.

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