Why doesn’t all water taste the same?

Water’s supposed to be just water, right? But somehow, it never tastes the same. Like, have you ever grabbed a bottle from a gas station and thought, “Ew, why does this taste weird?” And then later, you’re drinking from your friend’s kitchen sink, and it’s actually better than the fancy stuff? I used to think I was just imagining it. But no, it’s real. Water tastes different depending on where it comes from and it has everything to do with what’s in it.

Okay, quick answer before you scroll water tastes different because it’s never just H2O. It has minerals, chemicals, and sometimes even bacteria or leftover stuff from pipes. That’s the reason one glass can taste crisp and clean, and another can feel like licking a coin. But stay with me, because in just a few moments, you’ll see how this all connects to something that kinda shocked me…

So back when I was 16, I had this tiny water bottle I kept reusing during summer workouts. I’d fill it up from random places school, home, my friend’s house and I swear it started smelling like wet pennies. But I kept drinking from it anyway, thinking, “It’s just water, right?” Fast forward a few weeks, and I was in the nurse’s office with stomach cramps so bad I couldn’t even sit up. She asked me, “Where do you get your water?” And that’s when I realized I didn’t even know what was going in my body.