Water Treatment: A Matter of Taste; What Comes Out of Your Tap Is Probably Safe, but a Filter Can Make It Sweet

You tell your kids to drink water, but they wrinkle their noses and grab a juice or a soda because they say the stuff from the tap tastes nasty.

You may agree.

A previous report in this section about the quality of tap water ("What's That You're Drinking?" March 13) found that the public water in the Washington area is generally safe -- meaning it won't make you ill. But that doesn't mean it's pleasant to drink.

Buying bottled water is one solution, but it's expensive and not necessarily better for you. A water filter can be an economical way to make your tap water a lot more palatable. ...