Question:
I need to buy a on-the-faucet water filter. The one that removes the most "junk" is plastic and may break easily. The others don't remove as much (lead, buggies, etc).

What do you recommend as a cost effective and efficient water filter?? I prefer the on-the-faucet type but if a case can be made for another version I would certainly give it consideration.

Answer: What's the deal with all the water filters and bottled water on the market these days? Is the tap water around the country _really_ that bad? As in, is there any documentation showing that it's less than safe?

With absolutely no supporting evidence, I nonetheless have a hunch that this is another bunch of products where the market has been created by playing on people's fears. I realize that there are certain areas where the water really does taste bad - I spent 6 months in Tampa, where it reeks of rotten eggs - but alot of what I read in the ads for these products starts to sound suspiciously like propaganda.

In my case, I couldn't drink my own water without wrinkling my nose and going *blech* afterwards. I'm sure the stuff is perfectly safe; it's just very bitter. I couldn't stomach it straight, despite having been a nonstop water drinker before moving here. I bought tons of apple juice to compensate.

My PUR filter definitely takes the edge off the water; I can drink it straight and enjoy it again. (I don't know if this is the "plastic one" the original poster was talking about, but if it is, I can say that I haven't broken mine yet!) I'm weaning myself off the apple juice, and seeing a corresponding drop in my grocery bill.