Give that glass a good sniff. If it smells like a swimming pool on a hot summer day, that’s chlorine—municipal water’s favorite disinfectant, which kills bacteria but also makes you feel like you’re showering in a public urinal. If it smells like rotten eggs, congratulations: you have sulfur, which is harmless but will make every glass of water you drink taste like a dragon’s belch.
Pro tip: if the smell reminds you of a damp basement or a rubber hose, your water is loaded with organic compounds that might not kill you but will make you reconsider that second glass. I once had water that smelled exactly like my ex’s cologne—needless to say, I switched to bottled water for emotional reasons.
