Here’s the secret: it’s not the water source—it’s the filtration. Your neighbor probably has a $50 pitcher filter they bought at a big-box store, and they swear by it. But let’s be honest, a pitcher filter is the gateway drug of clean water.
At some point, you’ll realize you’re tired of refilling that plastic pitcher every 13 minutes. You’ll start dreaming of a whole-house system—the kind that makes every faucet sing like a pristine glacier.
But don’t get ahead of yourself. The first step is figuring out what’s actually in your water. You can buy a test kit for $20, or you can do what I did: Google “local water quality report” and discover your city adds chloramine, which is basically long-lasting bleach. Fun fact: it gives water a faint “hospital lobby” aroma.
