Is this a normal thing I should have?

thunderstorm

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 4:45 pm

amother [ Lily ] wrote:

For those saying kashrus, do you also use only filtered water to boil a pot of noodles? Or make a big soup that might have 14 cups of water? And if I don't, should I be informing my guests? This never occurred to me.

I know that my mother only uses filtered water in NYC and yes she uses filtered water for cooking too. She has a filter connected to her faucet .

amother

Brickred

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 4:46 pm

little neshamala wrote:

Monsen NY-I always drink tap water.
When we have guests I try to remember to buy some bottled if they prefer

Monsey does not have the same issues as nyc . In Monsey though two water is gross I only use filtered and in my they use filtered for kashrus reasons something about bugs in the water

amother

Maroon

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 4:49 pm

chanatron1000 wrote:

It is a waste of money compared to tap water. It's also bad for the environment even if you recycle. Recycling is expensive. It costs a lot of energy to transport the bottle and melt it down. There's a reason it's "reduce, reuse, recycle" in that order.

For you it's a waste of money, for me and others not. Everyone has their priorities.
Regarding recycling, how is bottled water different than any other bottle or packaged item?

chanatron1000

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 4:53 pm

Bottled water is different from other bottled or packaged items in one notable way: there is an easily available and affordable alternative.

amother

Maroon

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 4:55 pm

chanatron1000 wrote:

Bottled water is different from other bottled or packaged items in one notable way: there is an easily available and affordable alternative.

Sorry, this doesn't make it different than any other bottle or packaged item. For many people, tap water isn't an option.

amother

Maroon

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:07 pm

chanatron1000 wrote:

What makes it not an option?

Not everyone likes it and can stomach it. I get bad stomachaches from it.
My water bottles aren't more wasteful than your detergent or milk bottles. We all have different needs and priorities.

amother

Firethorn

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:10 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

We live in NYC. I grew up in NYC. I never had filtered water. We drank water from the tap. Or filled a picture from the tap and kept it in the fridge for cold water.

Filtered or bottles water is just not on my radar. When we have guests we put a few bottled waters in their rooms but we don't use bottled water on the regular. Filtered and bottled water is expensive and not a priority for me.

I have a relative coming to stay and she told me she only drinks bottled or filtered water. She said this as a given. I'm wondering if this is a standard standard and I'm just killing myself slowly with tap water. Is this something I should accommodate?

What are your thoughts?

Yes it’s a given, halachically. The NY area was proved to have tiny bugs in the water.

amother

Salmon

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:11 pm

Tap water in NYC tastes fine and is clean, no need to get it filtered. I've never seen any creatures mentioned here in tap water, probably not visible to the naked eye.

amother

NeonYellow

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:15 pm

NYC’s water contains tiny shrimp called copepods. These microscopic crustaceans are not actually harmful at all, and are instead used to clear the water of mosquito larvae. Although they may lead to cleaner and even better tasting water, the presence of copepods mean that NYC’s drinking water is technically not Kosher, a fact which has caused some conflict with the Orthodox Jewish Community in the city.

The above is quoted from https://www.nycfoodpolicy.org/.....ater/

This article makes it sound as if they deliberately add copepods to the reservoirs to get rid of the mosquito larvae. Which I guess makes no difference because skeeter larvae are just as tref as copepods, so it's six of one, half a dozen of the other.

amother

Electricblue

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:19 pm

groovy1224 wrote:

You're right. Microscopic is the wrong word. Bugs that can't be seen by the naked eye are not assur. But apparently these copepods are large enough to be visible, which is what render them nonkosher.

Of course, as you say, everyone should ask their LOR.

I was told they're not large enough to be visible. Copepods are microscopic crustaceans. But again, AYLOR Smile

amother

Carnation

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:20 pm

I live in NYC and have two filters on my tap water. For bugs and for lead/toxins/particulate. My husband and kids drink it but I don’t like the taste so I only drink bottled.
If you put a cotton filter on your faucet and check it after a couple of days it will be brown. It’s disgusting!

amother

Maroon

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:22 pm

amother [ Carnation ] wrote:

I think that the cotton thing needs to be changed every day. It's always filthy.

chanatron1000

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:23 pm

amother [ Maroon ] wrote:

Not everyone likes it and can stomach it. I get bad stomachaches from it.
My water bottles aren't more wasteful than your detergent or milk bottles. We all have different needs and priorities.

Bottled water is often just filtered tap water.

Last edited by chanatron1000 on Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:29 pm; edited 2 times in total

amother

Maroon

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:29 pm

chanatron1000 wrote:

Bottled water is often just filtered tap water.

Poland spring water is not filtered tap water.

chanatron1000

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:33 pm

Poland Spring is claimed to be spring water, but I personally am suspicious of it because of its bitter taste not found in other spring water or tap water.

amother

Beige

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:35 pm

chanatron1000 wrote:

Bottled water is different from other bottled or packaged items in one notable way: there is an easily available and affordable alternative.

Obviously you don't taste a major difference. I can't get tap water down, it tastes disgusting. Even if I'm super thirsty, I just can't do it.
It's not an equal alternative.

Should we tell everyone to buy day old bread because it's cheaper so therefore paying full price is wasteful? It's not wasteful if there is a benefit.

amother

Beige

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:37 pm

OP, some people in my family drink tap water, some can't stand the taste. For guests, I definitely consider it standard to have plenty of spring water available, or even filtered water. It's not that expensive.

amother

Beige

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:39 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I have guests all the time, for meals and to stay over and I never thought about this.

Should I be warning people?

Yes you should be.

I believe all NYC restaurants put out filtered water as part of their hashgacha requirements.

chanatron1000

Tue, Oct 12 2021, 5:41 pm

amother [ Beige ] wrote:

There is no environmental advantage to day old bread, and if everyone were to buy day old bread, it would no longer be cheaper. It's not comparable at all.

Also, even if there is a taste difference, for someone who is lucky enough to live in a part of the world where safe, clean water is readily available to be completely unable to drink it requires that the person be extraordinarily bad at drinking water.