Here's a fun fact nobody asked for: the EPA only regulates about 90 contaminants in tap water. Meanwhile, there are over 80,000 chemicals registered for use in the US. So basically your water is being graded on a curve, and the curve is generous. I'm not saying your water is poison. I'm saying "passes federal testing" and "actually clean" are two very different bars, and most of us have been treating them like the same thing. PFAS ("forever chemicals"), lead from old pipes, chlorine byproducts, pharmaceutical runoff — none of that shows up on the little postcard your water utility mails you once a year saying everything's fine. The good news: fixing this doesn't require moving to a cabin and hauling spring water. It requires a filter. Below are the ones that actually do something, broken out by what you're working with — whole house, under sink, countertop, or "I just want my water bottle to stop tasting like a pool.


