I have well water. I live on the east side of the largest city in the U.S. supplied (until recently) entirely by well water, Tucson, Arizona. Tasty, very hard (calcium). I grew up with private 1 family well (norm for the area) well on the outskirts of Poughkeepsie NY. Also very hard, Iron & Ca but also very good.

Toxic water from the Colorado river came to Tucson several years ago. They blended it with our fossil water because even after treatment it was so bad as to be undrinkable. It cost me $8000+ for a re-pipe on one of my older rentals on that side of town. Lots of other people also had to spend a bunch. Now CAP water is used only for agriculture or is pumped into the ground to re-charge the aquifer.

FINAL RESULTS
2009 Award Winners

Municipal Water
Best in the World — Clearbrook, Waterworks District, British Columbia.

Best in the United States — Hamilton, Ohio

2nd place — Village of Montrose, British Columbia, Canada

3rd — Town of Bath, WV

4th — Oak Creek, WI

5th — Eldorado Springs, Colorado

http://www.berkeleysprings.com/water/winners09.htm

You should check you dates before you post something. I’m just sayin’ is all.

Sarah,
you’ve obviously never been to St Augustine Florida, the water there has to be the worst in the country. Tastes like straight sulphur

I would suggest that anyone on a community water system look at the report the system is required to send you each year and ensure that there are not violations listed on it for exceeding the acceptable amount of any contaminant. If you are unsure how to read the results or do not have a copy of them, contact your local DEC office and they can interpret them for you or provide you with another copy. Your local DEC should also be able to provide you with the results of tests for any water system. Just as you look at the nutrition facts of food you eat, you should be aware of what’s in the water you drink. If you are concerned about the safety of your water, talk to the local DEC about your concerns and ask that they require the water system you’re on to do additional tests.

If you are on a private well, you should have the water tested once or twice a year for bacteria. It’s never a bad idea too to have a complete work up done on your water one time, then continue to monitor yourself for any contaminants that came back higher than they should be. Again, your local DEC can provide you with a list of labs in your area.

And yes, I do work at a water testing lab ;)

My high school biology teacher once made the essay question on an exam to explain that stanza of the poem and why the water was unfit to drink (ie what would it to do on a cellular and systemic level to a person who drank it). She was tough, but she sure did instill an appreciation for biology in me!