Now that I "work out" at a gym I am getting dehydrated, but I cannot force myself to drink the Hagerstown water. Even if it is ice cold, halfway through the glass, I can taste that stuff going all the way down to my stomach. Blecch!

Would any of those filtering gizmos at Target (the ones you attach to the faucet or the pitcher filters) help with the taste? Or should I locate another supply of drinking water?

Appreciate your advice.

Personally, I don't find anything wrong with the Hagerstown water supply. Are you in the Potomac River or Edgemont Reservoir District, Valentine? Sometimes in the fall the Potomac River supply tastes like dead leaves, but other than that, I find it okay.

In answer to your question, yes those add-on filters do work. The charcoal filters out the taste impurities and the fabric filter gets rid of the solid impurities.

I understand the Brita brand of decanters also work very well, if you can wait long enough for the water to filter thru the media.

We have one of those five-gallon bottle coolers at work, but I can't bring my self to drink from it. The water looks nasty, plus all that buildup on the spouts.

Perhaps you can buy that bottled water that any number of companies put out. The stuff that comes in soda-like bottles. Most of it is just super filtered municipal water though. I've read some taste test results and all generally perform equally. Desani, Evian, whatever.

Perhaps one of the trainers at the gym can recommend some type of drink that will replace the electrolytes in your body, that might be better than plain water.

Thanks, Yossarian:

I don't live in Hagerstown proper, but somewhat west. The water really tastes awful. I think I'll try the Brita, since I don't want to have all of those plastic bottles to contend with.

By the way, the seniors at this club are awesome. I have seen these people on the treadmills and elliptical machines, burning down the place. They make me sick.

I always use iodine tablets/drops when in Hagerstown.

I'm kidding.

I have not found any problems with the drinking water in Hagerstown. If you compare it to the fountain water in Arlington I have to say country water's a bit better.

We used to use some type of filter pitcher thing, but I didn't notice that big of a taste difference. Yes it worked, but I just feel that water is water no matter what it looks or tastes like. Poo water not included.

A little advice though: when looking for cheap entertainment, don't put pepsi or other syrupy liquids thru one of those filter pitcher things.

I really don't like Hagerstown's drinking water - the taste OR appearance. After a weekend away one time, I came back and filled up a glass of tap water and it was literally brown. Yuck. This could've been build-up, or whatever, in the pipes but I haven't drank the tap water without it being filtered since.

I use a Brita and find it to work wonderfully. The water tastes (and looks) great.

ah, I'm reminded of W.C. Fields reply when someone asked him why he didn't drink water...

"...because fish f*** in it."

Too funny, Yossarian.

Funny you mentioned this...

Sunday, I sensed a serious bleach smell in the H2o for the first time in h-town... I have an aerating faucet (moen), and the smell was intense after filling my glass… yuk... Thank GOD for Brita pitchers.

Yeah, they overload on the chlorine when the e. coli, salmonella and ghardia get too high.

Oh thats right... I heard that some of Sheetz's Roma tomatoes were caught in the filter...

whoa, I just got a mental image of the water plant guy standing over the filtration system eating a Sheetz cold cut sub!

quick stare at my avatar now...

you are getting sleepy...

Just be glad you don't have to drink the water from down here in Martinsburg! God! Yhe wife and I refuse to drink it and just buy sams choice water (huge case for 4 bucks).

I actually liked the Hagerstown water. I could drink it straight from the tap.

" sams choice water (huge case for 4 bucks). "

Thanks for that info!!!!

I use Weiss markets gallon bottled water. It's 58cents per gallon which is pretty good price for gallon jugs.