Canadian Tap Water vs. American Tap Water
As a Canadian, I was born with a silver faucet in my mouth. Maybe gold. That spoiled attitude is because of our really good tap water. Because if there’s one thing Canada does exceptionally well (besides the chip aisle and organizing into lines), it’s tap water. Almost anywhere in the country, you can turn on the sink, take a big refreshing gulp, and actually enjoy it.
I live in BC, where the water is next-level good. The only time you’ll get weird-tasting tap water is if you’re pulling from a well, and even then, it’s drinkable. That fishy, rotten egg aftertaste in well water is most likely sulfur. I’m in Nanaimo, where our water has never had fluoride, and it’s chlorine-based. I don’t know if that’s why it tastes so fresh, but it’s undeniably good, I mean who doesn’t like the smell of the pool. Maybe Bromate water would taste good, those minigolf rivers do look tasty. Crisp. Clean. No weird aftertaste. I could probably bottle it up and sell it to Americans at a premium.
Now, let’s talk about the U.S.
Why Does American Tap Water Taste Bad?
I swear, every time I visit the States, I have to Google if it’s safe to drink the tap water. It makes me feel like I’ve been transported to some developing country, except it’s America, land of the free and home of the questionable municipal water sources.
Take Baltimore, for example. I was at a hotel, and I asked the lady at the front desk about the tap water. She gave me this look, like I had just asked her if I could drink out of a puddle on the street.
“Uh… what do you mean? Like… out of the sink? You want to drink out of the sink?”
Yes. Yes, I do.
“Uh… no? I mean, I use it to rinse my toothbrush, but like, I wouldn’t drink it.”
She then proceeded to tell me that some people do drink it, but like, in a hushed, scandalous tone, as if she were revealing some underground secret, gossiping about her trashy friends. The hotel just kept handing me free water bottles. Which, environmentally, is a nightmare, but considering the tap water tasted like nightmares, I took them. And yeah, the water was bad. I really thought I was gonna get sick.
Then there’s Seattle. You’d think Pacific Northwest water would be pristine, but nope. It tasted… off. Like well water. The kind of well water that, in Canada, makes you go, “Ah, yeah, you guys are on a well, huh?” I don’t know if it was the pipes or the source, but it was funky. I checked online, and people swore it was fine to drink. But I stopped anyway because I started feeling weird, and I don’t know if it was the water or just the realization that I couldn’t trust any tap down here.
This is why Brita filters are so common in the U.S. In Canada, if you pull out a Brita, people assume you either (A) got scammed, or (B) live in one of the rare places with bad water. In the States, it’s a necessity. It’s like going to Asia, where people warn you not to drink the tap water or the ice —except in America, they just quietly accept it and buy filters and bottle water instead of demanding better water. Funny they have a water company called Liquid Death, maybe it’s tapped into a local municipal water source.
And of course, there’s Flint, Michigan, which is the go-to horror story when it comes to American water quality. But what people don’t always realize is that water issues aren’t just a “Flint thing.” There are tons of cities where the tap water is suspect, full of contaminants, or just tastes awful. I never went to Flint, and I do not plan to. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of Flint. Water is a right not a privilege.
Vegas: The One Exception?
Now, Vegas was actually a surprise. It had the best tap water I’ve had in the U.S. so far. My friend said it had a weird taste, but I thought it was the closest thing to normal. Maybe it’s because they have a limited supply and actually need to focus on quality over quantity. I don’t know. But it didn’t make me sick, so that was a win.
So What’s in the Water?
Alright, let’s talk chemicals. Because there’s a reason Canadian and American tap water taste so different.
Fluoride vs. No Fluoride
- In the U.S., fluoride is added to most city water supplies. It’s supposed to help prevent cavities, and dentists love it.
- In Canada, it varies. Some cities fluoridate, some don’t. Nanaimo, where I live, has never added fluoride, and it tastes amazing. But nearly every source says Fluoride does not change the taste.
Chlorine vs. Chloramine
- Chlorine is used to disinfect water, but it dissipates pretty quickly, which is why you don’t always taste it.
- Chloramine (chlorine + ammonia) is used in many U.S. cities because it stays in the water longer, but it gives the water a weird, chemical taste.
Other Stuff That Might Be Messing With the Flavour
- Old Pipes – Many American cities have aging infrastructure, and old pipes can leach weird-tasting metals into the water.
- Hard Water vs. Soft Water – Some areas have high mineral content (calcium, magnesium, etc.), making water taste “chalky” or “earthy.”
- Source Water Differences – Canada pulls a lot of its drinking water from pristine lakes, glaciers, and rivers. Some U.S. cities rely more on reservoirs, groundwater, or even the Mississippi River. The source affects the taste a lot.
Why Does Canadian Tap Water Taste Better?
A mix of factors:
- Better water sources – More fresh, natural water, less reliance on underground reservoirs.
- Less chemical treatment – Many areas use chlorine over chloramine, which affects taste.
- I’m used to it – Maybe I’m used to my home water. Maybe its better. Maybe I don’t care and American water needs improvement.
- Stricter water quality regulations – Canada actually has tougher water quality guidelines in many cases.
Final Thoughts
American tap water is weird. Some places are fine. Some places taste like a swimming pool. Some places make you question your life choices. Meanwhile, in Canada, we’re just out here drinking straight from the tap like it’s a luxury. And honestly? It is.
