What’s in a glass of water?

Tap water can be full of surprises

By Rachel Feltman

Published

glass of water
You've probably heard about the lead in the tap water in Flint, Michigan. But have you ever wondered what's in a typical glass of tap water? We created an easy-to-follow interactive for you. Click here to discover which items are the most surprising, which are bad for your health, and which just add an interesting taste to the water. The Vorhees

With nearly limitless beverage options, you might not realize how much variety exists in the seemingly bland realm of tap water. This colorless refreshment can vary widely from city to city, house to house, or even sink to sink. Scroll over the image below to see some surprising items that might show up in your H2O.

Photo by The Vorhees

This article was originally published in the March/April 2017 issue of Popular Science.

 

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Rachel Feltman

Editor-at-Large

Rachel Feltman is Editor-at-Large at Popular Science. She hosts and oversees the hit podcast The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week, and helps to fill the magazine’s digital pages with thrilling features. She lives in Jersey City with her surprisingly tall husband and surprisingly old cat.