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I found this funny since our water company is actually now called "Suez." United Water wasn't catchy enough. Really want to drink water named after a brackish canal in the Mediterranean?

We are getting the red bacteria too.

Do you want to see something really scary? Open the back of your toilet and look inside.

I blame global warming.

We just bought a place on 9th Street and I notice that there are red watermarks forming in our toilets. I'm a little concerned because I also noticed a red film forming at the bottom of the cat's water bowl. I know some houses in Hoboken get it too. Does anyone know anything about this? I want to know if it's confined only to our house also.

The pink stuff is actually produced by naturally occurring bacteria. Presence of the pink bacteria does not have anything to do with the water quality coming out of the faucet distributed by the water system. These bacteria are very common but cannot be seen until after they grow and multiply. Left undisturbed in areas of high humidity at room temperature, the bacteria multiply producing a pinkish-red pigment, or sometimes a dark gray color, on surfaces that are regularly moist.

I think it's worse for non copper piping. And for people with hard water. I get it too, but it's very easily cleaned.

No, I filter my drinking water. But the water leaves a red ring around my toilet and small particles. What's in our water?

Anybody else notice the crazy strong chlorine smell and taste in the water this morning?!

Nasty!

Actually, you would also have to consider the plumbing in your particular building as water can absorb lead from solder, fixtures, and pipes found in the plumbing of some buildings or homes.

If you are not sure about the quality of your plumbing, always run the tap at least 30 seconds any time water has been standing in the faucet for hours, especially in the morning. Also, always use cold water for cooking or drinking, even after you have run the tap.

In NYC, residents can order a free lead test kit.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/drin ... water/lead_test_kit.shtml

The following information came from a water test that I received two weeks ago. The water came straight from an unfiltered tap in an apartment across from the JC library (in Van Vorst). It's main intention is to be used with brewing beer so take what you want from it. But at the end of the day, the water is fine. Any "nasty" tastes is a result of the amount of salts and minerals in the water, not toxins. It's all healthy stuff. pH 6.6 Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) Est 210 Electrical Conductivity, mmho/cm 0.35 Cations / Anions, me/L 2.9 / 2.8 ppm Sodium, Na 39 Potassium, K < 1 Calcium, Ca 15 Magnesium, Mg 5 Total Hardness, CaCO3 58 Nitrate, NO3-N 0.3 (SAFE) Sulfate, SO4-S 4 Chloride, Cl 70 Carbonate, CO3 < 1 Bicarbonate, HCO3 34 Total Alkalinity, CaCO3 28 "<" - Not Detected / Below Detection Limit

I was wondering if anyone had information about the quality of the tap water in Jersey City. I try to drink a lot of water thoughout the day and don't want to pollute the environment with bottled water . . . but I don't want to pollute myself with lead or other toxins either.

Anyone know any hard data?

I have the same thing with my water, but I got a new filter and I still get this feeling like it's merky. Has anyone else gotten that feeling, like it's still not right even after you bought a brand new filter? If so any suggestions?

i try to not look at the water that comes out of my faucets,
but by accident the other day, i caught a glance at
glassful of freshly drawn kitchen sink water in a clear
glass -- and it was dark gray.

godawful looking. smelled like an old lake.

i use brita for everything, even the cat's bowl.

we pay a huge amount for water and sewer here,
far more than in any boroughs across the river.
what's up with that?
should tunisia and egypt be teaching us a lesson?

I am thinking of getting a shower filter because I think the tap water is bothering my skin. Can anyone recommend one?

My water has a nasty odor as well. I have to run the faucet some time before it is even clear.

For some interesting facts on what is coming out of your faucet. Check out the Environmental Working Group Study on your water:

http://www.ewg.org/tap-water/whats-in-yourwater

When I run my tap water to get a drink, after letting it run for a few seconds until the temperature changes so I'm not drinking the water that was sitting in my building's old pipes, I noticed starting about a year ago that it REEKS of chlorine, like the smell of a public pool. I know they treat the water with chlorine and that small amounts aren't toxic, but of the places I've lived I've never been able to smell it. Has anyone else noticed the same?

We have a PUR filter on our faucet. I think it works pretty well, I drink the water and haven't noticed anything off about the taste or smell.

On the other hand, I think our ice cubes smell funny. We have an automatic ice maker in the freezer, and I think it's because we don't have any filter on the water that's being used to make the ice cubes.

Do you know how that Seagull system works? I couldnt find a link on the site that explained it. It's interesting it says it filters viruses by using a .4 micron filter, even larger size viruses are smaller than that. It must be something else other than the filter. I have a micro/carbon filter i take backpacking. For days on end I have turned fetid stagnant water into drinkable water and have never gotten sick, kind of a leap of faith. If your water smells, it makes sense to treat it, might also make sense to determine what is making it smell.

Drinking water is very important.







Also I have a filter for the fridge but only because stagnant water can develop some nasty stuff (I found algae in it a while ago when I wasn't using a filter with the pitcher).

The JC water supply tastes fine though, at least near me, so I usually just drink that with some ice.


Really, unless your water tastes gross, I don't see much need to use a filter. And gp193, I'd bet the sulfur and chlorine tastes have something to do with the piping in your building or your area, since I'm getting my water from the same supply Maybe report it?

Quote:Check out this site for a system I?ve been using for about 20 years. Not cheap, but the best water and ice you?ve ever tasted and the filter usually lasts a year and a half.
http://generalecology.com/ I have the seagull IV x-1F.

?All Seagull IV purification systems are independently certified to meet EPA guide standard protocol for microbiological purifiers against bacteria, cysts and viruses. Plus, Seagull IV systems excel at removing chemical and aesthetic contaminants including herbicides, pesticides, chlorine and foul tastes, odors and colors, for great tasting water on demand. Seagull IV X-1F features a stainless steel pressure vessel, "Quick and Easy" pressure proof installation lines, ceramic disk faucet, Structured Matrix cartridge, and mounting bracket.?

It would make sense they don't do anything about VOC's - my tap water always smells like chlorine and sulfur, and sometimes it irritates my skin in the shower. Gross. Even Brita didn't make it taste better so I get those jumbo cooler bottles delivered every month. Hate doing that but my tap water is really undrinkable.

Tap water carries Chlorine or other antimicrobial agents in low levels. It is usually added right before it leaves the plant and enters the distribution system. The purpose is to ensure it will kill any microbes that may be in or make their way into the pipes...it's supposed to kill microbes all the way to the end user. Chlorine has been implicated as a possible long term carcinogen. Brita filters out some of the Chlorine I think...but, every time you shower in tap water I am pretty sure you absorb about as much as drinking some. In tests bottled water usually has higher levels of microbes than tap water. If you do use a britta be sure to change the filter often and research it to make sure some of the activated carbon or whatever is in it doesn?t get into your water, if so figure out if it causes an issue or not. I am basing all this off my education, my undergrad and ? of my masters was Environmental Engineering, basically I learned how to treat drinking water, waste water, scrub air from smokestacks, etc. I never went into the industry so maybe things have changed in the past few years but I doubt it. As of a few years ago tap water from a drinking water treatment plant in the US was generally safer and cheaper than any other way you can get water. One thing you can look into is the last mile pipes leading to your faucet, how old are the pipes in your building? Are they lead? If they are old and lead, they might leach some into your water.

One thing did catch my eye with United water, i think they have a waiver for testing our supply for VOC's. I thought waivers were only given when they know the supply is clean of something...yet we are in Jersey.

From my preliminary research, it seems that Brita doesn't flter microbes, while Pur and some other systems do.

I also use a Britta filter pitcher and the water usually tastes great. I can tell when the filter needs to be changed because the water starts to take on a slightly metallic taste. I gave up my bottled water habit because my conscience got to me re: all of the plastic that I was going through. I've used Britta for years and am satisfied.

I drink straight from the tap, tap water standards are actually higher than bottled water standards. I don?t know if using these filter systems helps or if they add things to the water via the filtering process. I guess it depends on your situation what the right thing to do is. If you have old pipes that might be leaching lead into your water maybe it could help to filter it, if not it is probably of a waste of money from a safety perspective.

Oh and here is the answer to what is in your water: http://www.unitedwater.com/eBooks/JerseyCityCCR/jerseycityccr.html

Britta- Its what I always used so now I'm just accustomed to the taste. I don't know how much it filters but I know I can't handle drinking water straight from the tap here knowing what kind of crap is in the ground. Of course it could be filtering nothing but at least I have the illusion of peace of mind.

I have a purification system from Aquasana. It is great, and they have a "water for life" program where all of the components are covered for life. I would highly recommend it.
Mosey

How many of you guys drink water straight from the tap in JC? If not, what do you use to filter/purify it?

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Amen, brother!

These newbies don't know about Bret except as our "past" NJ Commissioner of Education. Go to www.stopbretschundler.com for the "facts" of his Mayoralty.

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Are you taking about the ring that forms after days in an unwashed toilet bowl? If so, remember a LOT of stuff besides Jersey City water goes in there. THere is always a trade-pff between how much you want to disinfect drinking water. If they put in a a cupful of Clorox (aka chlorine) into every flush, you'd NEVER see a ring but you wouldn't live very long either.

If you are talking about sediment. That happens in old lines when the water is shur off and restarted...the pressure pulse picks up the mud in the pipes.

I will admit that sometimes in the past at the end of a hot Summer, the water got a bit rank, especially in the Heights...from algae growth in the emptying resevoirs. I see it far less frequently at Newport and amazingly not at all this year in spite of boiling hot weather and drought conditions.

For filter users, study after study has shown that these filters become contaminated readily and DISPENSE bacteria with every "filtration." Why would we expect anything different? I'm reminded of a movie, Animal House perhaps, where Belushi used his dirty underpants to filter his coffee.

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Mine (Newport) does not and I ALWAYS let the water sit for close to a day, alternating bottles. If you taste metal, you have a corroding pipe issue or a galvanic action between mismatched metals. Some morons actually attach galvanized pipe (zinc coated) to copper pipe. In common parlance that is called making a BATTERY!

I challenge ANYONE to do a fair BLIND taste test of NYC vs. JC water at the same temperature...but carry the water in glass, not plastic. You'll see for yourself. (Toss in some Poland Spring as well for comparison. )

Xerxes.. since you seemed to be obsessed with the water in jersey city and taste test it against nyc water.. what is in it that creates the black crud and the orange crud.

i have never seen that happen before and i have lived in Boston where the water system is old and Worcester, MA where the water system is ancient.

The water is JC doesn't taste great. I only use my brita to resolve the taste issues that JC water has. If you let the water sit for a day from the tap it tastes like metal.

larger amounts of organics in the "plastic water." (check the dangers of styrene in plastic water.) This does not even address the environmental cost of the pollution of the gazillion Poland Spring bottles tossed willy nilly...I watch them float by in the Hudson every day.

Brita filters are a gimmick and even whole house carbon filters are unnecessary and probably add more crap than they remove (burnt charcoal is a mix of a LOT of organics.) filters are useful for SEDIMENT and little else.

As for chlorine, just let water stand before using it, the chlorine vaporizes out pretty quickly, expecially if the water is heated or allowed to stand in the fridge for a couple hours. (I have two half gallon glass booze bottles that I keep filled in the fridge and use the older (the newer one gets a plastic hoop) and there is never any perceptible level of chorine left. Usually miost of it is dispelled by the faucet aerator.

And I DO hope there is a special spot in Hell reserved for Bret Schundler, the worst mayor Jersey City ever had INCLUDING the couple who were jailed. Selling our 100 year old water system to a private concern so his deficts looked better for a WHOLE year was evil, stupid, and rapacious...and even ultimately more costly to residents in the form of an infinite stream of higher water prices.