How to make tap water taste better: 7 methods

Day-to-day life keeps us busy, which often translates to long working hours and back to back errands that see us ignoring our own needs. However, some needs are non-negotiable, like oxygen and food. While we can last for 3 minutes without oxygen and three weeks without food (though not recommended!), we can’t go more than three days without water.

In fact, to stay healthy, the average human should have around 6-8 cups of water per day. That number is easy to forget in the face of everything else we have to do in a day, from work to chores, cooking, socialising, and exercising. Yet, none of it is possible without water.

If you have to drink a full 1.6 litres of water every day, the taste can become monotonous. That’s why we created this list of ways to make tap water taste better, including:

1. Use a water filter
2. Infuse your tap water with fruit
3. Try adding vegetable or herb infusions
4. Cold brew tea or teabags
5. Make it sparkling and fizzy
6. Check your pipes
7. Add a flavour sachet

1. Use a water filter

A water filter is the best way to improve the quality of your water and ensure you aren’t drinking any potentially unsafe contaminants every day.

Water filters can come in many forms, from taps to jugs, with the highest-quality water coming from reverse osmosis (RO) systems, which remove 99% of impurities, including bacteria, viruses, chlorine, and metals.

Removing unwanted contaminants is also the best way to remove unpleasant tastes or smells from your water without adding any unnecessary flavours. Conversely, if you do want to add flavours to your water, it’s best to do so using filtered water, as the lack of additional substances means you experience the flavour in its purest form. 

2. Infuse your tap water with fruit

If you’re looking to add a sweet twist to your water, many people are turning to delicious fruit infusions. Simply add slices of fruit to your glass or bottle and leave it for 1-2 hours, or even overnight in the fridge.

Favourites include:

• Apple slices
• Lemon and oranges
• Watermelon
• Strawberries

You can even get experimental and mix your fruit infusions for added flavour combinations.

3. Try adding vegetable or herb infusions

If you prefer a more savoury taste, you can try vegetable or herbal infusions in your water. The process is the same, simply chop the veg or fresh herbs and place them in your water. You can use a special pitcher with a purpose-built steeping compartment, or use a tea infuser for smaller herbs.

Common choices include:

• Carrots
• Cucumber
• Zucchini
• Rosemary
• Mint

You can even combine the above with fruit slices for a sweet-and-savoury blend that’s packed with vitamins and antioxidants, depending on the ingredients you pick.

4. Cold brew tea or tea bags

Traditionally taken hot, tea has been used to improve the taste of water for thousands of years, ever since Chinese emperor Shen Nung sat with a boiled cup of water below a tree that happened to be shedding its leaves.

Tea, especially herbal tea, contains antioxidants and plenty of flavour. However, you should be mindful of the caffeine contents or select a caffeine-free variety if you’re planning on using tea regularly throughout the day.

In addition, it’s best to use filtered water to brew your tea, which ensures no unwanted contaminants like chlorine, bacteria, PFAS, or metals interfere with the taste of your drink.

In modern day, there are more ways than ever to enjoy tea. This includes on its own as a hot drink, as part of fruit or herbal infusions, and even cold — though this can take slightly longer to infuse. Consider adding ice to create iced tea, which has been enjoyed across the world since 1904.

5. Make it sparkling and fizzy

Fizzy or ‘sparkling’ water is created by adding carbon dioxide to your water. Many varieties also include additional minerals, which may help support your wellbeing. 

You can purchase a DIY sparkling water machine or purchase flavoured varieties from the store. Some people even prefer to buy large bottles of carbonated water and add small amounts to their regular tap water – this is a cost-effective method that can easily be adjusted so you’re getting the exact right amount of flavour you need. 

Top tip: If you don’t like sparkling water but still want to increase your mineral intake, check if you live in a hard water area. If you do, you may wish to purchase a water softener in combination with a three-way drinking tap. This gives you the choice to enjoy mineral-rich water for drinking and soft water for cleaning and washing, according to your needs.

6. Check your pipes

If you notice a persistent bad taste or smell in your tap water that has you looking for a way to make it taste better, it’s worth checking your pipes.

For instance, limescale buildup in pipes can alter the flavour and often manifests as decreased water pressure, corrosion causing leaks, and blockages in more severe cases. Luckily, a water softener can help to prevent these issues from becoming a costly add-on to your to-do list.

Pipes in older buildings carry more risk of contaminating your water with metal or rust, while moss or algae may also be a concern in more damp areas if left unchecked. You can either replace the pipes or install a water filter to fix these issues.

7. Add a flavour sachet

If none of the above sounds enticing, you can always consider adding a flavour sachet to your water. This is a popular option with the younger generation on ‘Watertok’ where TikTok lovers add various flavours to their water and share their full hydration routines. However, it’s best to use flavour-enhancing powders and syrups with caution.

These sachets can include artificial flavours and other ingredients, as well as high amounts of sugar and calories. They are best taken in moderation but are easy to add to your drinking routine.

Healthier options include scent pod brands like Air Up®, where you inhale the scent of your desired flavour instead of adding it to the water. Interestingly, this tricks your brain into thinking you’re drinking the same flavour you’re smelling — with no added sugars!

Why does your tap water taste bad?

Don’t feel pressured to add unwanted flavours to your water if nothing on the above list appeals to you. Instead, you may need to understand the source of any unpleasant look, flavour, or smell that’s turning you away from your tap water.

Note: if you live in the UK, your tap water should be safe to drink regardless of most bad smells or tastes, but this isn’t always enticing!

Cloudy tap water

White or cloudy tap water comes as a result of small air bubbles trapped in your water, which can happen due to faults in your main water network, above-temperature cold water taps, a partially-shut stop gap, or limescale buildup. 

There are a few things you can do to stop cloudy tap water:

• Wait 24 hours to see if the problem persists.
• Run the tap until the water runs clear.
• Call your supplier to see if there are issues in the network.
• Invest in a water softener to remove any minerals from the water before you drink it.

Metallic taste

A metallic taste is most common in homes with older plumbing systems, and come as the result of:

• High levels of iron, which can be an issue in cities like London or Bristol.
• High levels of other metals, like zinc, copper, lead, or manganese.
• Water with a lower-than-average pH level.

While high levels of iron are not typically a cause for concern, other metals like zinc and lead may be detrimental to your well-being in high enough concentrations.

The best way to avoid metal contamination in your home is to install an at-home water filter or RO system to remove any metal particulates from the water before you drink it.

Chemical taste

While a chemical taste can be concerning at first, it is usually nothing to be concerned about. Small amounts of chlorine are used as part of the UK’s standard water treatment process and, while unpleasant to taste, is not harmful.

A water filter tap or jug can help to remove particularly strong chemical tastes from your daily drinks.

How to fix the salty water taste from a water softener

If you have already had a water softener installed, then any minerals like calcium or magnesium won’t be affecting the taste of your water. However, a small amount of sodium (essentially salt) is added to the water as part of the softening process.

If this is negatively impacting the taste of your water, you have a few options:

1. Install a three-way drinking water tap. This usually allows you to choose between hot or cold softened water, and hard water on demand.
2. Install a reverse osmosis (RO) system. This will filter out 99% of contaminants, including any sodium added as part of the water softening process, and essentially leaving you with ‘pure’ water.

It may also be worth checking for any issues with your water softener, or calling a professional to troubleshoot for you.

Get ready for soft, safe, and better-quality tap water

Try out a few of the ways we’ve listed here to help make water taste better. Once you’ve found your favourites, the recipe for success is the same, whether you prefer infusion or flavour sachets, the flavour will be best applied to filtered water.

Your standard water filter, drinking water tap, or jug will provide you with contaminant-free drinking water that brings out the best in every sip. However, for the purest water possible, you’ll need a reverse osmosis system. This is more cost-effective in the long run and comes with a higher level of purity at 99% H2O.