Water Taste Psychology

Water Taste Psychology

Tri-Florida Water Treatment wrote an educational guide exploring how psychology affects water taste perception, offering insights into customer complaints about "taste" that might actually be smell-related issues. The company explains that pure H2O is scientifically tasteless, but dissolved minerals create different flavor profiles (sweet from calcium or lower pH, salty/bitter from magnesium or sodium chloride, and metallic from iron or copper). The key insight is that smell dominates flavor perception because of some science around odor molecules. Even safe water can taste bad if it smells like chlorine, sulfur, or has musty odors from organic matter, while cloudy or colored water triggers psychological warning signals regardless of safety. Tri-Florida provides practical fixes for everyone like chilling water to suppress odor molecules and taste receptors, aerating to dissipate volatile compounds like chlorine, adding natural infusions like lemon or mint to mask mild negative odors, and using activated carbon filters to remove taste and odor compounds at the source.

Aquasana Targets Apartment Renters

Aquasana published a detailed guide for apartment renters, highlighting an often-overlooked market segment with specific needs and constraints. The water filter company covers key challenges that renters face: installation restrictions from landlords, limited space in compact kitchens, temporary living situations requiring portable systems, and lease compliance concerns about unauthorized modifications. The guide breaks down five renter-friendly filter types, starting with countertop systems as the most popular option since they require no drilling or plumbing changes. For renters with more flexibility, Aquasana promotes under-sink options including their Direct Connect system that requires no drilling or plumbing modifications. The company provides practical tips like checking faucet compatibility, getting landlord approval, saving original parts for move-out, and measuring available space before purchase.

New Desalination Technology

Idaho National Laboratory announced the first real-world test of a new water desalination system in a California pistachio farm. The technology uses a chemical called dimethyl ether (DME) to remove salt and minerals from underground water that's normally too salty to use. Instead of creating liquid waste like traditional systems, this method turns the removed minerals into solids that are easier to dispose of or even sell. The system fits in a shipping container and combines the new DME process with regular reverse osmosis filters. An interesting side note: the solid waste could actually make money as farmers can use the extracted minerals for dust control or sell them to other industries. The project shows how research labs and private companies can work together to bring new water treatment ideas to market.

Water Filtration for Gyms and Spas

Butler-based Aqua Solutions wrote their guide for gyms and spas, showing an example of how to educate about equipment protection and client experience benefits. Company president Gary Monks, with 25 years of experience, explains that while municipal water is safe for residential use, it creates unique challenges in wellness environments where water is heated, pressurized, and used in high-humidity spaces. The guide details how chlorine and chloramines accelerate metal corrosion in shower valves, steam systems, and hot tub components, while also damaging rubber gaskets and seals, leading to leaks and temperature inconsistencies. The company positions different filtration technologies as solutions: carbon filtration for chlorine removal, water softeners for scale prevention, UV treatment for microbial control, and reverse osmosis for high-purity applications.

What else is happening:

• The Cool Down reports on a Canadian homeowner who spent $4,000+ on water tests and cleanup gear after authorities refuse to listen

• Water Medic of Cape Coral covers the problem of “rotten egg” smells and which filters are best for filtering for sulfur

• WES Water of Scottsdale, AZ writes about the hidden dangers of chlorine and chloramines

• Aquasana answers how much water softeners cost in time for their Black Friday sale