New York City - NYC Tap Water, What is the Deal With It?

Everytime I go to New York City, I am amazed at how good the water tastes, just out of the old tap.

Here in Southern California, it is habit to walk around with a bottle of Fiji or whatever. The tap water here is so bad it's pretty much undrinkable without filtration. Tap water is strictly for washing.

My wife's mom and our son, first time visitors, were very pleasantly surprised. I've lived in areas where you would assume the water would be great, like the Olympic Peninsula and the Rockies, and it was not as good as NYC.

Anyone know, what is the deal with it? How come it tastes so good?

It's the crocodile juice that makes it taste so good!

But seriously, NYC water comes primarily from several enormous reservoirs in the Catskills, where water is fresh and clean, and it's brought to the city through a massive tunnel system that keeps the water moving so it doesn't pick up impurities or sit in pipes for very long.

Read all about it at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/watersup.html

I just moved to a new apartment in an old building, and had my tap water professionally tested just to make sure the pipes were good. It was perfect in every category.

NYC tap water is amazingly delicious, isn't it? The story of where it comes from, and the massive engineering projects that bring it to your tap (such as Water Tunnel #3, currently under construction) are equally amazing, you might start here: (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/watersup.html)

Some restaurants in NYC, of course, try to upsell patrons into buying bottled water ("Will that be Still, or Sparkling?"). And some tourists fall for it.

Some restaurants in NYC, of course, try to upsell patrons into buying bottled water ("Will that be Still, or Sparkling?"). And some tourists fall for it.

I usually ask for "Best of the Catskills, please." ;) Waiters are usually confused.

I miss the well water at my Dad's home.. Full of healthy minerals and totally acidic. (Destroyed the copper pipes).
:eek:

That's funny, last week they asked you to boil the water if you were sensitive because of the heavy rains.

NYC boil-water alert on Kensico water
By LEN MANIACE
lmaniace@thejournalnews.com
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original publication: June 30, 2005)


Yesterday's torrential rains triggered an alert for New York City residents to boil their water today, because turbidity at Mount Pleasant's Kensico Reservoir could disrupt chlorination that kills disease-causing microorganisms.

Westchester health officials said it was not necessary for Westchester residents to take similar precautions. A higher level of soil particles was discovered hours after the rains at the Kensico Reservoir in Mount Pleasant, triggering the alert, said Sandra Mullin, a spokeswoman for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Soil particles in water supplies can interfere with the chlorination process used to kill microorganisms that can cause stomach and gastrointestinal ailments, officials said.

I was told NYC water is one of the safest, freshest in the country. Because the water comes from upstate mountain, and it's crystal clear.
Though with last week's announcement, I started boiling my water too. :)

There has been a replacement in the water ordering methods at the restaurants. When the waiter asks if we would like the Pellegrino (Evian, Panna, whatever), we just tell him to bring the Chateau Bloomberg. Prior to that, there were several great vintages of Chateau Giuliani. You don't need the bottled stuff in NYC, that's for sure.

Some restaurants in NYC, of course, try to upsell patrons into buying bottled water ("Will that be Still, or Sparkling?"). And some tourists fall for it.

EXACTLY the words used in almost every restaurant at which we ate. Occasionally followed by, "Or tap?"

Our response, around the table, "Tap is just fine by me." :D

That's funny, last week they asked you to boil the water if you were sensitive because of the heavy rains.

...and I'm waiting for an update on that warning.

Awsome how NYC has good water. One at times would've thought otherwise...

I am always amazed that Americans across the U.S. buy bottled water. I've lived all over the country (grew up where the H2O came from the Finger Lake Hemlock), and the only place the water wasn't good (bad tasting, but perfectly potable) was New Orleans. One of the biggest laughs is silly Americans running around buying bottled (often tap) water when we have what is probably the best and safest water tap system in the world!

New York City tap water is unquestionably the absolute best drinking water in the universe.

There is no water quite like it.

I am always amazed that Americans across the U.S. buy bottled water. I've lived all over the country (grew up where the H2O came from the Finger Lake Hemlock), and the only place the water wasn't good (bad tasting, but perfectly potable) was New Orleans. One of the biggest laughs is silly Americans running around buying bottled (often tap) water when we have what is probably the best and safest water tap system in the world!

The water isn't too tasty in many parts of Florida, either.

But I fully agree that it's funny how much people spend on bottled water. Particularly brands like Dasani, Aquafina, and Deja Blue, which truly are bottled tap water. It's even funnier how in many places they'll sell Dasani for more than Coke, when Dasani is essentially just Coke with a few minerals replacing the sugar and caramel color.

Ah, advertising...

New York City tap water is unquestionably the absolute best drinking water in the universe.

There is no water quite like it.

That's why no place else but in New York can you get the perfect bagel.

...and I'm waiting for an update on that warning.
as i recall it the warning last week was only for a short period and specific area, it said it was only for a few hours, by the time you got the warning it was over.

The extreme weather caused some problem which was quickly corrected

That's why no place else but in New York can you get the perfect bagel....or pizza or pasta or corned beef or baked goods or any other food that even remotely touches water.

This is why New York City has the largest variety of some of the best food that can be found anywhere in the world, in my opinion.

Now I can go for a bialy or a bona fide kaiser roll (baked fresh in an authentic bakery) topped with poppy seeds...

NYC tap water is the best. I love it.

A number of years ago, I read a story about a comprehensive test of drinking supplies around the country. The three winners were NYC, Madison WI, and Fresno CA. Mountain water sources explain NYC and FAT, does Madiosn also have mountains/hills or is it all those fresh water lakes? :)

That's why no place else but in New York can you get the perfect bagel.When I lived in Marin County CA, there was a bagel guy in San Rafael who used to fly in all of his ingredients (including water) from NYC. Expensive, but goooood .

When I lived in Marin County CA, there was a bagel guy in San Rafael who used to fly in all of his ingredients (including water) from NYC. Expensive, but goooood .

He flew in the water? Did he have someone bottling l'eau de New York for him? Next time I'm out there on business, I must try this place out. Let's see what he does with these ingredients....

The water is good.

He flew in the water? Did he have someone bottling l'eau de New York for him? Next time I'm out there on business, I must try this place out. Let's see what he does with these ingredients....
Maybe he'll even give you a discount if you bring him a couple gallons of that "clear gold" from home.

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The best pizza in San Diego is without a doubt, Bronx Pizza. (http://bronxpizza.com/)

I am not just saying that because the owner Matt and manager Smitty are old friends of mine, and that I helped move the ovens in before they opened, and that many of the pictures on the website were taken by me. No, it is truly the best NY-style thin crust pie (is there another kind?) in town.

I asked Matt about the water, and he says he uses Arrowhead spring water in the crust, best he can do, but it's still not as good as tap water back in the Bronx.

Fly NYC tap water in for the crust? Fuhgeddaboudit, says Matt.

...he says he uses Arrowhead spring water in the crust, best he can do, but it's still not as good as tap water back in the Bronx.
Fly NYC tap water in for the crust? Fuhgeddaboudit, says Matt.
As a recent visitor to San Diego, I can vouch that Arrowhead is good stuff, but the real flavor and properties of NYC water lie in the very high mineral content. It is essentially what is called a "hard" water, which tastes really good but does not dissolve soap and dirt quite as easily as softer waters, which is what is found in most of the rest of the country.
Actually, if the pizza guy really wants to get closer to matching the water from the Bronx, he would be better off trying one of the European mineral waters, such as Evian or Panna.

...Some restaurants in NYC, of course, try to upsell patrons into buying bottled water ("Will that be Still, or Sparkling?"). And some tourists fall for it.


I'm not a tourist, and will prefer stil bottled water from Vittel, Evian, Voss or whatever... aslong its imported and bottled still. I'm not one for tap water, although when comparing to most NYC tap is good.

-Vincent

When I lived in New York, I got into the habit of always declining the overpriced bottled water in restaurants in favor of good old tap. Unfortunately, I've been surprised occasionally by the poor quality of tap water in some other parts of the country.