How Can I Get Better Quality Water? for Questionland Seattle

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How Can I Get Better Quality Water?

The water quality in my apartment is undrinkable. I've tried many times, and I end up with stomach cramps and a weird kind of growth under my arms and a rash that itches. Also my teeth will hurt after a day or so of drinking the tap water.

As soon as I go off the tap water, the growth subsides and and all the other symptoms disappear. I have been living this way for years and tried many solutions none of which have worked:

1. Regular bottled water. Not very good, and over time some of the same symptoms.

2. Premium bottled water. This is my current solution, Pelligrino, and I'm happy with it, though I do still need water for coffee, cooking and just quantity drinking when I work out or go for a bike ride.

3. GE Smart Water. This makes it a "little better"...enough for me to use for coffee if I boil it. But still not good enough for drinking.

4. Importing water from Portland. When I go to visit my friend in Portland, I was bringing 2 five gallon jugs and would live off this...however, I don't go down there that often, and so it runs out. Also the principle of having to tote water 180 miles to get something drinkable.

5. Getting water from sources outside my apartment. This too has some promise, as I have tried going to parks and even up to Seattle to get some water and it tends to be better (but not as good as Portland's!).

6. Complaining to the local Water authority. These guys send around a whole booklet periodically telling everyone how much better the water quality is. I once emailed and then spoke by phone to an official there and after some back and forth it came down to him saying "well, a lot of people like the water around here". So, typical PNW response (don't let the door know hit you on the way out).

So, you may ask why do I bring this up all of a sudden when I have been living this way for 11 years? I just went to Starbucks and in the past their water was just as terrible as mine...in fact worse. However, today, I stopped in and ordered an ice tea and a big glass of ice water and it tasted very good. I asked them and they said they had an industrial quality triple filter system (of course people who work at Starbucks are mean and maybe he was pulling my leg...so who knows...)

So, I was looking for what people thought was the best high quality water filtration system/technology for ordinary residential use. Not "the best" -- but the best of the reasonable. Or, who knows, maybe one really does have to get the best to get good water around here. Also, I live in an apartment, so it has to be something that can work off my existing cold water feed and that I can take with me if I move.

John Bailo asked in Other - House & Home 9 months ago | Report

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I learned today that Seattle's water has much more calcium and magnesium than Portland's drinking water (PDF), and a significantly higher pH number (7.5 compared to Portland's 6.4). Yet San Pellegrino water has lots of calcium and magnesium as well and it would seem that Seattle's water mineral content is closer to San Pellegrino's than is Portland's, so it's probably not a mineral deficiency affecting you.

Costco has a Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System for $160 + tax.

Cheaper is a Home Drinking Water Analysis Test Kit for determining what chemicals and impurities in your drinking water are making you ill. Online those retail for about $20. If you find amounts that the Environmental Protection Agency deem beyond safe levels, you might be able to make your apartment building's facilities management do required improvements.

Christina L answered in Other - House & Home 9 months ago | Report

3 comments by Black Beetles in Amber, John Bailo, and John Bailo…

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For lots of calcium and magnesium, you could always just add more lemon to the water.

Black Beetles in Amber commented 9 months ago | Report

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Thank you for a stellar answer.

I should have mentioned (or thought it was on my profile) that I live on Kent's East Hill.

The calcium and magnesium are actually something I want...but drinking mineral water all the time, don't know if that's good or not (they seem to do it in Europe, where the tap water is non-potable).

Reverse Osmosis. Yes, I looked at a similar system at Home Depot today (GE). I've already installed the single filter GE Smart Water system, but there seems to be "other stuff" in the water that it does not filter.

The installation for RO is not beyond me as I have already done the hard part of installing a cold water feeder tap and installing the water spout in the sink. However there seems to be an additional feature of adding a drain line and it has to be "upstream" of the disposal -- which is hard in my case because the disposal is screwed into the sink drain!

I guess this then comes back to the reason of my original post -- wanting to know if anyone has first hand knowledge of any of these water filtration systems and has installed and is using anyone of them in a similar situation and what the result, price performance is.

I've tried reading the reviews at Amazon and Home Depot for the under sink systems, and they're completely bipolar -- either 1 star or 5 stars !!

I did get an answer from Starbucks about their water purification system. It's proprietary. Go Starbucks...you have the best water in town...that's fer dam sure!

And the kit sounds like a perfect idea...get some hard data first. I will do that!!

John Bailo commented 9 months ago | Report

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Reporting in:

Today I went to Lowe's to get the PurTest kit for $26. It was recommended because it was so comprehensive. After sloughing through the documentation I conducted the first test ... a strip that I was to dip in a vial of my tap water and then match the 4 test squares against the color chart.

Problem was...none of the colors matched and only two seemed to change at all after soaking it. My guess was that this kit had somehow expired so I got a refund.

Back to the drawing board.

Oh, also I did some more spelunking for information on Reverse Osmosis. It's not all good...there were some outright anti-RO people in the forums....guess for every pro there's an anti these days.

My quest continues...

John Bailo commented 9 months ago | Report

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You could've probably just written the first two sentences and stuck the last paragraph directly underneath it. Maybe name the question "Best high quality water filtration system?" or something.

It's hard to fix crazy though.

Yeah.

Hard to fix crazy.

If you're renting, get the city over to inspect and legally force your landlord to change the pipes.

If you own, replace the pipes yourself or just move. Or get a Britta.

LMNOP answered in Other - House & Home 9 months ago | Report

4 comments by foodiegal, John Bailo, and John Bailo…

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John, it doesn't have to be a fancy filtration system, any filtration system at all makes the water taste a ton better. I've heard that reverse osmosis filters are the best, though.

foodiegal commented 9 months ago | Report

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Well, as I recounted (and to answer LMNOP as to why I elaborated so much detail) I installed a GE Smart Water filter and while it made it a bit better, its still not as clean or tasty as I would like.

John Bailo commented 9 months ago | Report

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@LMNOP

"It's hard to fix crazy though.

Yeah.

Hard to fix crazy."

See...to me, offering a well written and detailed essay about the Question is considered rational. I explain the problem. Enumerate the options and ask for input. In any other part of the world, this would be called...normal. But, no, not here. Here a person such as LMNOP rules the roost. He probably have scads of peers egging him on. He struts around town wearing a banner that spells it out -- I am a sane Seattlite.

The only recompense for posting in a place such as this is that it really is a "World Wide" web...and so in the fishbowl here it appears that LMNOP has had the last say, in places elsewhere, normal...rational...people are saying "what's wrong with all these idiots. John is just asking a question..."

But you. Here. In this place. This Bellevue. This Dickensonian asylum. Will never see it...

John Bailo commented 9 months ago | Report

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Haha! I like it! I just thumbed you up for that.

LMNOP commented 9 months ago | Report

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Seattle's water comes from the Cedar River Watershed, and it is some of the best water on Planet Earth.

If you have a problem with our water, then the problem is probably with YOU not the water. But it is possible that the pipes in your apartment building are sub-par. Brita filters work well. ]

Starbucks uses a fancy filtration system because coffee is over 90% water, so they want to get it right. It costs more than you want to know, so don't think you're about to replicate the Starbuck's filtration system on a budget.

Seriously, you live in one of the best cities on this planet for drinking water. If you can't get a household pitcher like a Brita and be content with the water here, then maybe you shouldn't drink water.

soundslikepuget answered in Other - House & Home 9 months ago | Report

5 comments by John Bailo, freikja, and freikja…

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Thanks for the non-answer.

John Bailo commented 9 months ago | Report

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Actually, there may be a point here. lf you are sensitive to tap water, bottled water, and various other kinds, you should get tested for allergies. You seem averse to such responses, but it's worth a consideration, because as Puget points out, you have a TON of mountain-fresh water here. You *shouldn't* be having problems. lf you are, maybe you have an allergy or sensitivity you aren't aware of.

lt's a fair suggestion, not a snarky one. lt was also objectively an informative one.

freikja commented 9 months ago | Report

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None of those are my downvotes, by the way. l just think you're looking for an answer that affirms what you're looking for, when the problem might very well be your chemistry.

freikja commented 9 months ago | Report

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I am very sensitive to foods and have a lot of allergic reactions. I know that I am very sensitive to metals and suspect, by smell, that it may be some dissolved solid like copper or lead that is causing me grief (and hence, as you seem to be suggesting, might be within the limits of what others are capable of dealing with).

However, my counterblast is that I see quite a lot of displays around here for bottle water service and expensive water filtration. Also, why does Starbucks have a need to have a triple filter proprietary system if the water is so "ok"?

As far as me wanting an answer...did you actually read my question.

It was very simple.

Do you (the reader/answered) have any experience with water filters and can you recommend one that you have used?

That's all I asked...but, as in every other case, this simple type of question creates some insane type of hypersensitive response that range from "you're crazy" to "maybe it's you" to "it's YOU...it's all YOU" !!

Word to wise. If you live in Seattle. Keep your mouth shut or they'll show you the doorknob!

John Bailo commented 9 months ago | Report

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Uh, excuse you? Why are you telling me to keep my mouth shut when l offered a valid explanation and interpretation for another's post?

l read your question. l didn't answer it because everyone here has already suggested some good alternatives. l could really give a crap about Starbucks as l don't support them, and why are you biting the hand that feeds you when people offer you reasonable, easy, and immediate solutions? lf you were looking for something other than filtration systems -and a Brita isn't exactly through the roof given its shelf-life- and bottled water, then you should specify that before asking a question, then talking shit to and about everyone who provides you an answer. l can see why your downvotes are in the triple digits, Jesus.

freikja commented 9 months ago | Report

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