Does it mean anything if a bottle of spring water (like a gallon bottle) tastes weird or plastic-y?

Answer 1

It means so many plastic molecules have migrated into the water that you can taste them. This happens more with certain brands than others and its more frequent where the bottled water has been exposed to high temperatures.

Answer 2

Bottled water is a nightmare. Most of it is glorified filtered tap water. I had American Spring Water one time and I read the label further and it came from Canada. Weird eh?

Answer 3

All I can say is, while growing up we caught rainwater in tanks and barrels... when I went to Guam to live in '86 the water had a weird taste to it... when I came to the mainland in '89 the water sucked so bad I could hardly stand it.... it passed after about 2 months or so...

Answer 4

Pour a million cup of vinegar into the bottle and enable it soak in one day. Then drain the vinegar and you will ascertain to have that horrid plastic style long previous. Or----you ought to attempt a mix of onions and honey, mixed nicely and poured into your bottle. enable it take a seat for some hours, drain---and Voila!! that plastic style is long previous!! solid success with that!

Answer 5

It means the plastic in the container is leaching into the water - not something you really want to be putting into your body.

Answer 6

I've never tasted water that comes in the gallon jugs that doesn't taste plasticy. I figure though that they wouldn't sell it if it wasn't safe.

Answer 7

get some fresh water. water should taste like nothing.

Answer 8

Choosing a bottled water from the grocery store shelf can be a daunting task. Pictures of glaciers and mountain springs mix with alluring words like "purified," "distilled" and "Artesian." But inside it all looks the same: clear, carbonated or not. So how, exactly, is it different from tap water?

In many cases it's actually not very different at all. According to a National Resources Defense Council report, about one-fourth of bottled waters come from tap water. Some are treated. Others aren't.

The reason? According to a Cornell University report, it's because "public water supplies are already regulated by federal and state drinking water standards."

And those standards are actually higher than what many bottled waters are required to comply with.

But like many consumers, we're more concerned about taste than where the water came from. So we decided to do a blind taste test of room-temperature waters, including Indy's tap water, Brita-filtered tap water and some of the brands you can find at a supermarket.

1. Brita

From an Indianapolis kitchen sink

Staff comments

• "Tastes like someone tried too hard to mask something. Tastes like chemicals. Leaves aftertaste."

• "Gritty taste."

• "Tastes like the tap, blah!"

• "Taste is flat."

• "Tastes lovely and water-fullific."

• "Tastes filtered."

• "Nothing stands out."

Verdict

A few people guessed that this was filtered tap water. But this Brita water actually tied for staff favorite, though people either loved it or hated it. Regardless, it got more votes than both Pepsi's and Coke's waters, which makes you wonder just how good those filtration systems are, and how good or bad the tap water they use is to start with.

2. Aquafina

From a municipal water source

Staff comments

• "There's some kind of mineral taste. It's bubbly, too."

• "Not as good as prior water, but does have bubbles."

• "Smooth, clean."

• "Bubbly. Stale and rusty, somehow."

• "Weird taste. Bubbles in this one. Had a strange taste -- left aftertaste."

• "Very good. Kind of soft."

Verdict

The staff was kind of split on this one. The fact that it was the only one that had little bubbles in it definitely caught the attention of a few staffers. And although Pepsi's purification system "removes substances most other bottled waters leave in," that didn't seem to make much of a difference.

3. Evian

From Cachat Spring in the French Alps

Staff comments

• "Tastes like Nos. 1, 4, 5, 6."

• "A little less smooth than No. 2, but fine."

• "Weird."

• "This is fine. Nothing great."

• "Excellent and refreshing. My favorite."

• "Tastes next closest to tap."

Verdict

One staffer loved it. One didn't like it much. But everyone else was kind of middle-of-the-road on this one. No overwhelmingly negative comments for the water that touts itself as "your natural source of youth." "Drink it and feel yourself bloom." Um, yeah.

4. Aspen Pure

From somewhere in Colorado's Rocky Mountains

Staff comments

• "I note some minerals in this."

• "Fine. Nothing overly special."

• "Fine."

• "Seems fine. No aftertaste. I'd drink this."

• "Tastes good. No funky aftertaste."

• "Can't tell, but not as plain as No. 6."

Verdict

This water got the most positive comments. No one really hated it. And though no one overwhelmingly loved it, the general consensus seemed to be that this is something many people would feel comfortable grabbing to sip on. Plus, a portion of the sale proceeds go to breast cancer, heart disease and muscular dystrophy research.

5. Dasani

From a municipal water source

Staff comments

• "Tastes plastic-y."

• "Tastes normal."

• "Clean. Nothing special."

• "Made my lips feel weird."

• "Fine. Basic."

• "Bland taste that doesn't seem to be pure."

Verdict

No one seemed all too impressed with Coca-Cola's entry, but no one absolutely hated it either. Overall, it was somewhat non-impressive, but not so much so that it would rule out picking up a bottle. No one tagged it "pure" like the bottle claims, but with water, maybe less is more. Amazing what reverse osmosis can do, huh?

6. eVamor

From an Artesian source in Abita Springs, La.

Staff comments

• "Nice and refreshing. No aftertaste. Clean taste. My favorite."

• "Not as nasty as it could be. Kinda stale."

• "Tastes very clean. Loved it. Refreshing."

• "Odorless."

• "Has even less of a mineral taste."

• "Tastes best. Plainest and purest."

Verdict

This one tied with the Brita for staff favorite, though it got less negative reactions than the Brita did. Plus, eVamor claims that its "alkalinity and antioxidants help restore your acid / alkaline pH balance and clean your body of fats, acids and free radicals." Wow.

7. Tap water

From an Indianapolis kitchen sink

Staff comments

• "Oh, God. What else can I say? This is nasty-***."

• "Tap! Tastes like minerals or metal."

• "There's a mineral taste that's a bit metallic."

• "Ugh. Disgusting. Unpure. Unclean. Tastes like well water."

• "Awful. Gritty. I thought No. 1 was bad. Not anymore."

• "Rusty and nasty. Don't put me through that again, or I'll be driven to hurt others."

Verdict

Our staffers absolutely hated this one. Heck, they could barely refrain themselves from spitting it out back into their little Dixie cups. Experts say that tap water holds up better once you refrigerate it overnight. I'm not sure they're willing to take that chance.

Answer 9

yes

Answer 10

are you chewing on the bottle?