# What does water taste like?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-water-taste-like/30017>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 20, 2000, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-water-taste-like/30017 "2000-08-20T02:53:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![pluto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f08c70/32.png) [@pluto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pluto)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-water-taste-like/30017/21 "2000-08-21T22:25:33Z")

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From _Scientific American_, Volume 281, No. 6, December 1999, p. 152 “Working Knowledge: Water Filters”:

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> Despite the name, the most common type of water filter does not produce chemically pure water. If it did, the water would not taste right to us. Instead the filter’s activated carbon and its ion exchange resin remove unwanted ions and molecules from water, leaving those that make it pleasent to drink…By leaving innocuous and desirable chemicals, such as fluoride, in the water, the filter [lasts longer].

Also, from the captions of accompanying illustrations:

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> Activated carbon [removes] unwanted molecules like benzene, pesticides and oils…[It] also…converts free chlorine, which utilities put in water to kill germs, into chloride and hydrogen ions, which are safe and taste all right.
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> Ion exchange resin…replaces toxic metal ions such as lead, copper, mercury and cadmium with harmless hydrogen ions. It also removes enough calcium and magnesium ions to stop hard-water deposits from forming in kettles and teacups–but it leaves some of those ions in so that the taste of the water is not spoiled.

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**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2000, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-water-taste-like/30017/22 "2000-08-21T22:57:16Z")

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I know that excessive consumption of distilled or deionized water can upset your electrolyte levels, but I have a hard time believing that drinking reasonable amounts of either, while taking in enough salts from other foods, would be dangerous, unless bacteria or parasites get into the water, since the chemicals in publicly-supplied water to kill them off will have been taken out. Regular testing of the water, though, should put this concern to rest.

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