Mustachian Way for Water

[drudgep]

I was wondering if anyone had some tips on how to get drinking water for cheap? We don't want to drink tap water, right now we have a filtered water machine in our complex that gives us 1 gallon for 25 cents. Is there a better way? We don't want bottled water, too expensive.

Just wondering if this is the best option?

[Paul | pdgessler]

People will probably chime in talking about filter pitchers and such.
But the only tip you'll get from me is this: just drink the tap water*. :-)

AKA "on-demand hyperloop-style water delivery"

* Yes, even though you don't want to. Unless you have a really really good reason for not wanting to.

[elaine amj]

We drink tap water.

[yuka]

As everyone else has shown you, you're going to have to be far more specific if you want people to support your disinclination to drink tap water. Why don't you drink it? Is there a particular problem where you are? Bad taste? Unsafe?

[birdie55]

A Brita filter pitcher is probably the cheapest.  The filter lasts months and the water certainly tastes better than tap water.  Costco or Sams club has them and occasionally offers a $7.00 off discount for either the pitcher (which comes with 2 filters) or a box of filters.  I've been using one for years and it works great. 

[drudgep]

Thanks for the input guys, and I know some of you will say that you have been drinking tap water for 30 years and are still here... however just a personal choice for me and my family as I don't trust the water, and our water tastes very much like chlorine... leaves a slimy taste in your mouth...

Also from stories like this where the city of Flint in Michigan now needs to bump up their special education funding due to potential poisoning of the water. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/1/5/emergency-declared-in-flint-over-water-problems.html

[GuitarBrian]

My parents use a distiller. The Phoenix water is not very good tasting. I calculated the cost per gallon at $.30. They prefer distilled water to filtered... So $.79 a gallon at Walmart was the competition.

In the $.30/gallon I included the cost of the machine.

[csprof]

Thanks for the input guys, and I know some of you will say that you have been drinking tap water for 30 years and are still here... however just a personal choice for me and my family as I don't trust the water, and our water tastes very much like chlorine... leaves a slimy taste in your mouth...

Also from stories like this where the city of Flint in Michigan now needs to bump up their special education funding due to potential poisoning of the water. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/1/5/emergency-declared-in-flint-over-water-problems.html

Absent fracking, in most places, the tap water is safer than bottled.

A water quality test might prove cheaper in the long run -- and quite possibly safer -- than a filter.

That doesn't address the taste issue, though.  You can get rid of the chlorine taste by letting the water sit in an open-top container for an hour or so.  Then throw it in the fridge.  Instant* chilled water. :-)  Cheapest filter you'll find.

* Instant when you remove the chilled water from the fridge and pour it into a glass and drink your newfound refreshing beverage.  Not quite instant to chill.  grin.

[lbmustache]

I drink tap water occasionally but I usually just use a Brita filter. It says to replace it ever 3 months but I do it every 6. Tastes the same to me.

[jengod]

The mustachian way to get potable drinking water is to rejoice that you live in a country with amazing infrastructure that funnels water, gas, electricity, internet and more directly to your home with extremely rare interruptions and then removes trash and sewage from your home rather than allowing it to pool in noxious ponds around your living space.

TAP WATER IN TWO COUNT THEM TWO DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES IS A FUCKING MIRACLE AND YOU SHOULD DROP TO YOUR KNEES AND THANK YOUR GODS THAT IT IS YOUR DEFAULT LIFE SETTING.

[Sailor Sam]

You could try a Platapus GravityWorks filtration system. The filter is good for 1500 liters (396 gallons). According to this Atlantic article, people drink around 100 gallons of water per year. So a single filter would cover a 3 people for a year.
 
You can also DIY a Berkley style water filtration system, which is possibly more MMM sanctioned 'cause of the DIY-ing.

[ooeei]

You could try a Platapus GravityWorks filtration system. The filter is good for 1500 liters (396 gallons). According to this Atlantic article, people drink around 100 gallons of water per year. So a single filter would cover a 3 people for a year.
 
You can also DIY a Berkley style water filtration system, which is possibly more MMM sanctioned 'cause of the DIY-ing.

The platypus is more for filtering micro-organisms out of lake or river water than filtering out "industrial contaminants" like chlorine or whatever else it seems like the OP is worried about.  If he thinks the tap water tastes like chlorine, chances are micro-organisms aren't an issue.

OP, the mustachian way for water is to drink tap water.  As others have said getting the water tested is a valid option.  One thing I might recommend for taste is a blind/double blind taste test.  Make a game of it with a friend or the rest of your family.  Have the friend randomly fill your home water pitcher with either tap or bottled, and let it sit out then chill it as mentioned earlier.  See if you and your family can actually tell the difference, you might be surprised.

Another option is a reverse osmosis system.  It probably won't be cheap, but it is what it is.  If you do that, you should look into another way to get fluoride for dental health.  Yes, I know there's all sorts of conspiracies about fluoride relating to studies in developing countries where kids getting 10x the recommended dose had problems, but it's been a highly successful supplement for dental health.

[AZDude]

I used to drink only bottled water. Now I drink only tap. Once you get used to the taste, you never notice a difference. I use a Brita filter pitcher.

[elaine amj]

My friend does swear by her reverse osmosis system and won't drink water from anywhere else, not even bottled water. They cart water with them when out of the house and travelling. It's a bonus when they are cruising - since the ships use reverse osmosis and she can drink the tap water.

As for taste - water tastes different from house to house and region to region. We got used to it and like our home tap water the best. When we were travelling recently, we purchased bottled water to drink and the kids grumbled about the funny taste of distilled water.

[GuitarStv]

Just drink the tap water!

[onlykelsey]

Just drink the tap water!

or at least tell us what your concerns are.  It's hard to find a solution without having the problem well-defined.

[sonjak]

About six months ago, my doctor recommended switching to filtered water from pure tap (and also drinking from glass/ss, never plastic).  I bought an Aquasana tap filter and signed up for the "water for life" program (where they replace the filter for free if it malfunctions and they send you filters every 6 mos automatically).  My sister had been using it for years, living in a place with very hard water, and it's been great for them so I had her experience to go by too. 

So far my experience has been positive.  Now that I am used to it, I can really smell/taste the unfiltered water in the bathroom faucet vs. the filtered kitchen.

I have not figured out the cost per gallon but it is affordable for me.  They sent me two "free" glass water bottles too which I use for water at work and on the road, etc.  I rarely drank plastic bottled water before (moral issues with how/why private companies sell water and concerns about how it is less regulated than tap) and it's nice to have my own "bottled" glass drinking water.  I've also noticed that filtered water can sit in glass jar longer in my car before getting "funky" smelling.

[tjalexander]

Absent fracking, in most places, the tap water is safer than bottled.

LOL re: fracking causing problems.

[GuitarStv]

About six months ago, my doctor recommended switching to filtered water from pure tap (and also drinking from glass/ss, never plastic).

Did he give a reason for this advice?

[Sailor Sam]

It's a bonus when they are cruising - since the ships use reverse osmosis and she can drink the tap water.

If your friend is truly monitoring her water for health reasons, you might want to give her this heads up about potable water on a cruise ship. Depending on the route, it's probable the water is just municipal water, which has been treated with UV, chlorine, or bromide to kill bacteria. Some ships use a combination of UV and chemicals. If the water comes from an RO, it's still going to be treated for bacteria, using the same UV and chemical system.

[Prairie Stash]

Thanks for the input guys, and I know some of you will say that you have been drinking tap water for 30 years and are still here... however just a personal choice for me and my family as I don't trust the water, and our water tastes very much like chlorine... leaves a slimy taste in your mouth...

Also from stories like this where the city of Flint in Michigan now needs to bump up their special education funding due to potential poisoning of the water. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/1/5/emergency-declared-in-flint-over-water-problems.html

Too much chlorine? Put the pitcher of water in the fridge and wait overnight. By morning the Chlorine will evaporate out of the water, its the same way you get water ready for fish.
Lead pipes? First find out if you have lead pipes before fretting about problems that don't exist. If you do turn the tap on for five minutes to flush out the lines before drinking, then Brita if you want.

My grandma hated the chlorine, she also liked a cool glass of water from the fridge.

[The_path_less_taken]

I'm on a well, which has severe silt issues. Well filters are PRICEY. During the worst of it was replacing them once a week and the water from the kitchen faucet still looked like chicken broth...and I think is responsible for killing a few houseplants. (the three lemon trees are looking better not getting watered with it, anyway)

A table top distiller fits on the counter, provides ok water.

Although sometimes I just buy distilled at Walmart.

[morning owl]

I use a Brita, but it's mostly because our tap water tastes a little chlorinated.

Agree with the poster above that we should be thankful for having such easy access to potable water. There is NOTHING wrong with drinking tapwater, and it's free -- how much more Mustachian can you get??

[MacGyverIt]

I don't like the taste of tap water in some areas of the country, I tend to use tap water and add a True Lemon flavor packet (natural sweetener) and then I'm good to go. I've read about the water problems in Flint, Michigan which is a travesty of poor city planning but that is such a far out, unusual situation.

Yesterday I bought Culligan service for my elderly parents, they won't drink the tap water in their area and I hated to see the money and waste produced by bottled water consumption.

If you and your family drink enough water, it may be worth doing the cost/benefit analysis on a reverse osmosis system for your kitchen sink. My friend uses this (b/c they had been using well water) and she swears by it, their kids drink a lot more water now and they also use it for cooking.

[ketchup]

I drink tap water because I am accustomed to the taste and (vastly) prefer it over bottled/filtered.  We even have a "water cooler" at work but I'm that guy that drinks from the tap anyway.

We do have a Brita filter/pitcher in the fridge because my girlfriend prefers that, and I also use it for making homemade fermented foods out of paranoia.  We change the filter every few months.  One big box of them from Costco in mid-2013 and we'll run out sometime this year.

[sol]

There are several bottled water companies in my area that use our tap water and ship it all over the region to sell in stores.  Generally speaking, the companies save money by bottling it regionally to avoid long shipping costs, which means your local bottled water is probably your neighbor's tap water.

Are there any water bottling plants near you?  If so, then you're basically buying your own tap water at 15,000% markup.

Bottled water is just tap water that has been sitting around in a plastic bottle for a really long time.  Sometimes it has chemicals added to it to prevent microbial growth while in transit.  Sometimes it tastes like the bottle.  It always generates vast amounts of totally unnecessary garbage that doesn't biodegrade for thousands of years.

Your tap water is clean and safe, by federal law.  There are professional chemists who bear legal responsibility for testing it every day, and shutting it down if it ever comes back contaminated in any way.  The production plants where it goes into the pipes are inspected by the government regularly.  We have laws that protect the watersheds it comes from.  Americans, especially in the west, have the cleanest and safest water in the whole world, supplied by a miraculous and efficient delivery system right into everyone's home for maximum convenience. 

It baffles me that anyone pays so much more for an inferior product like bottled water.  Unless you live in a place that isn't served by a centralized water distribution system, buying bottled water is dumber than lighting money on fire.  At least that way you stay warm.

[elaine amj]

If your friend is truly monitoring her water for health reasons, you might want to give her this heads up about potable water on a cruise ship. Depending on the route, it's probable the water is just municipal water, which has been treated with UV, chlorine, or bromide to kill bacteria. Some ships use a combination of UV and chemicals. If the water comes from an RO, it's still going to be treated for bacteria, using the same UV and chemical system.

LOL - I'm not giving her another thing to stress over. She has enough issues. She's vegan, her husband's vegetarian, her kids eat a little meat, her daughter has extensive allergy issues. There's way too many restrictions in their lives already.

I don't like the taste of tap water in some areas of the country, I tend to use tap water and add a True Lemon flavor packet (natural sweetener) and then I'm good to go. I've read about the water problems in Flint, Michigan which is a travesty of poor city planning but that is such a far out, unusual situation.

You can also squeeze a fresh lemon :) Our latest favorite has been to add a squirt/tbsp of pure apple cider vinegar. Gives me a lot of the pleasure of drinking juice plus it's healthy.

[StacheInAFlash]

Definitely go for the RO route if you own the place. You can get an under the sink system with a small tank for $150 that works really slick, with filters that last well over a year. You'll need to do some very minor plumbing modifications and ideally cutting a hole in your sink for the new spigot. Or you can place the thing in your utility/laundry room (or bathroom, I suppose...) if you have easier access to the plumbing.

If you're in an apartment (which I'm guessing you might be based on "...our complex"), you could definitely still put in the RO system, but you may need to undo the plumbing when you vacate the place. I also would think twice before drilling through the sink to put in the RO spigot! You could leave it under the sink if you built a little shelf for it, and then just fill up your gallon jugs for the fridge directly from that. If it is really important to have better water, it would be worth it to go through all this hassle. Personally, I wouldn't want to deal with that hassle and potentially a pissed of landlord, but I guess if you water really sucks I could see the reasoning.

[ShoulderThingThatGoesUp]

Do a water test, it'll eliminate many of your concerns.

Your local tap water provider puts out annual reports on their water quality. Read it. It will show you that it is safe. Chlorine in tap water is one of the major public health triumphs of the Industrial Age.

Fracking only affects water supplies under extremely rare circumstances.

[galliver]

Pretty much all your options are:
-straight from the tap
-cheap/simple filter from the tap (pitcher, on-tap contraption)
-more $$ filter/purifier under the sink
-bulk purchase (reusable container)
-bulk purchase (disposable container)
-individually sized purchase (disposable container)

What will work for you depends on your tastes, your water source/flavor, your other values or worries, and your housing (space for storage? liberty to install RO system?). Obviously any disposable-container options are shamefully wasteful, last-resort options. Likewise, drinking straight from the tap is the most frugal and sustainable. But I, while I drink freely from the tap in Chicago and rural Iowa and San Jose, I cannot stomach water in Los Angeles/SoCal and especially not in Vegas; I swear the SODA from fountain machines smells and tastes like chlorine and iodine. I can barely brush my teeth in Vegas.

So: price out your options (accounting for initial and running costs like new filters), figure out how you value non-cost externalities (gas to drive to the store vs waste from filters; though if you get a SOMA filter those are biodegradable!) then decide if trying a filter is worth the investment if you are happy with your 25c/gal option. Assuming you REALLY love to hydrate and actually drink 64 oz/day of straight water (unnecessary, since much of our intake is from food), that's a whopping 3.75/mo/person. Clearly, it will bankrupt you very quickly.

If you were showering in that water I'd see it differently, but it's a matter of scale. Do you really have your expenses optimized to the point of 3.75/mo/person?

One last tip: if your tap water is borderline and it's really just the flavor that concerns you (not safety, etc), get a nice pitcher and slice up a cucumber or a lime in there, fill it up, and throw in the fridge for a day or so. Herbs from your windowsill also work great; in fact you can use any fruit/veg/herb but it stops making sense for water treatment if it's not cheap...

[bobechs]

Stand outside, looking up with your mouth held wide open.  Very occasionally Jesus will fill it with recently distilled water prepared by His hand.

No nasty plastic cups, pipes, jugs or other impedimenta will come between you and this fine, fine super-fine water.

You may be waiting a while but it will be worth it in the end.

Look to the skies!

[ketchup]

There are several bottled water companies in my area that use our tap water and ship it all over the region to sell in stores.  Generally speaking, the companies save money by bottling it regionally to avoid long shipping costs, which means your local bottled water is probably your neighbor's tap water.

Are there any water bottling plants near you?  If so, then you're basically buying your own tap water at 15,000% markup.

Bottled water is just tap water that has been sitting around in a plastic bottle for a really long time.  Sometimes it has chemicals added to it to prevent microbial growth while in transit.  Sometimes it tastes like the bottle.  It always generates vast amounts of totally unnecessary garbage that doesn't biodegrade for thousands of years.

Your tap water is clean and safe, by federal law.  There are professional chemists who bear legal responsibility for testing it every day, and shutting it down if it ever comes back contaminated in any way.  The production plants where it goes into the pipes are inspected by the government regularly.  We have laws that protect the watersheds it comes from.  Americans, especially in the west, have the cleanest and safest water in the whole world, supplied by a miraculous and efficient delivery system right into everyone's home for maximum convenience. 

It baffles me that anyone pays so much more for an inferior product like bottled water.  Unless you live in a place that isn't served by a centralized water distribution system, buying bottled water is dumber than lighting money on fire.  At least that way you stay warm.

I live in the Chicago suburbs and drove to Des Moines, Iowa last summer.  Stopped at a gas station and picked up a bottle of water that happened to be from Woodridge, IL municipal water supply.  I was 300 miles from home and drinking water from 12 miles from home.  It felt very very wrong.