How Can You Make Tap Water Taste Better To Reduce Your Plastic Usage?

Feb 15, 2022
1 min read

It doesn't seem like much when you pay $3 for a 600ml bottle of water. It’s just $3, and you certainly don’t feel the same pain as when you pump $50 – $100 worth of petrol into your car. It does become a crazy amount of money though, to be paying for something we can practically get for free from the tap! Crazy to the tune of $700 million. That's roughly how much the Australian bottled water sector earns in a year.

But it isn't just about saving a few dollars. 65% of plastic bottles are discarded in landfills. Each year, 2.7 million tonnes of plastic are used for packaging bottled water around the world, and the production of these bottles utilises about 1.7 million barrels of crude oil in the United States alone, and that doesn't include the oil necessary to transport and chill the water.

However, there is a seductive allure to drinking bottled water, we get it, there seems to be a taste that you just can’t create with tap water. But buying plastic water bottles over and over again doesn’t have to be the solution.

How to make tap water taste better

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Many in Australia have believed the marketing claims that bottled water is healthier, despite having one of the best water utilities in the world. It's obviously practical. Suppose you're thirsty while out and about; you can just get a bottle. When you're through you chuck it. And most people will agree that it tastes better. So, if you're not a lover of tap water, what are your options?

Here are some helpful suggestions on how to make tap water taste better.

Straight from the tap with a twist

Some are happy to drink water right from the tap, but if that’s not for you, the first step toward saving money and plastic waste is to purchase a water filter. It's one of the smartest money moves you can make if you don’t like to drink tap water.

A simple jug filter will suffice if having a clean taste is your priority. However, if you want to filter out fluoride and other impurities that a cheap jug can't, you'll need a specific water filter, which will cost a little more but will satisfy you in the long run.

Bottle your own and save

Reusing plastic bottles, or even better, glass bottles, and storing your filtered water in the fridge, is a terrific way to keep the bottled water mood alive. According to many people, everything tastes better in a glass bottle, and water is no exception.

There is no way to distinguish between filtered water and bottled water in terms of taste.

When you’re out and about stainless steel water bottles are the best option to keep your water fresh and cool on the go.

Fill your regular reusable water bottle up with boiled water

You can sanitise water by boiling it. Boiling can be used to reduced pathogens and destroy infections. The water should be heated to a rolling boil for 1 minute to kill all germs, this can be done with a regular clean kettle or on the stove if needed. Once your water is boiled you can carefully place it in glass bottle – or any kind of container than can handle heat – and pop it in the fridge to cool off.

If boiling water isn't an option, you can use a mix of filtration and chemical disinfection to reduce pathogens in drinking water effectively.

Get a water bottle with an inbuilt water filter

Another option is to invest in a water bottle with a built-in filter. Not all filter water bottles are made the same, so when you go looking make sure your bottle has the right filter that YOU need.

Try infused water

We all know we should drink a certain amount of water, but it can become monotonous and sometimes you want something that has a little taste to it. Instead of reaching for cordial or a soft drink, infusing your water might provide the necessary boost without the added sugar.

Add your selected flavours to the bottom of a big jar to infuse the water. Give them a squash with the end of a wooden spoon to mix them a little. Fill halfway with filtered water and set aside for at least 10 minutes to allow the flavours to meld. You can also chill it overnight for a chilled, flavourful drink.

Here are some flavour combination ideas to help make tap water taste better:

• Cucumber, lime and mint
• Pineapple and mint
• Watermelon and mint
• Any other fruit and mint
• Lemon and ginger
• Strawberry and basil
• Peaches or Nectarines and blueberries
• Pomegranate
• Apple and cinnamon
• Raspberry and orange
• Mango and ginger
• Lemon balm and ginger
• Cherry Lime

You can use actually fruits and fresh ingredients to make these flavours or you can find pre-packaged flavouring in your local supermarket or health food store.

Now you know how to make tap water taste better!

There's a reason many like to drink bottled water. It's possible that you dislike the taste of tap water or you may not want to consume fluoride or chlorine. Maybe you just become thirsty when you're out and about and don't have anything else to drink. We recognise that you must first find a good alternative that works for you to change a habit. Fortunately, now that you know how to improve the flavour of tap water, and even how to have filtered water on the go there's no excuse!