I can “taste” Aqua Mira?

[Michele Mason]

I used AM for the first time on a recent summer trip. I normally don’t treat water, but I took my teenage daughter with me and I wanted to set a good example.

However, I set a BAD example by not trying out the AM before we left!

In my defense, I have not read of anyone else complaining of this–the TASTE! Icky!

And I know it wasn’t me, as my daughter complained about it as well. The water tasted sour, sort of like lemon, but more tart. The only way we could drink the treated water was by adding drink mix, we just couldn’t get it down, no matter how thirsty we were (and it was HOT!). This made it more risky to treat the water, as we didn’t want to drink it, than it was to just drink the untreated water, in my opinion.

A couple of times, when my daughter wasn’t looking, I filled my bottle up in a stream and drank the water down…so much better than AM!!!

Do other chlorine-based water treatments have a flavor as well? Are my kid and I the only ones who’ve noticed this?

[Joseph Rothstein]

I used AM for the first time last week, and I noticed a subtle lemon-like flavor. It wasn’t a good taste, but I had no trouble drinking the water. I’m not aware of any way to remove the taste, although leaving the bottle open for a while might help, if the chlorine dioxide evaporates quickly. Does anyone know whether this works?

[Steven Miller]

I’ve used AM on 3 trips before this weekend and never noticed any taste. But this past weekend trip I noticed the same “slighty lemony” taste. Not objectionable, but not appealing either. And the AM for all trips came from the same batch.

[EndoftheTrail]

I notice a taste each and every time. Fortunately, it’s not a bad taste — and a heck of a lot better than iodine.

AM is not a miracle water treatment. But to me, it’s a better alternative to iodine (e.g. Potable Aqua + Taste Neutralizer) because it does everything at least as well, as easy and as quickly as iodine, and certain things a bit better.

[Dylan Skola]

Yeah, I’ve noticed a slight chlorine taste, but very mild. Then again, I’ve re-trained myself to drink San Diego tapwater which is only a couple notches down from pool water, so my chlorine tolerance is probably not representative.

In any case, chlorine dioxide is a gas, so letting it sit out, preferably in a container with a wide opening, should dechlorinate it over time. I haven’t made the experiment myself, but you’re probably looking at overnight-type timeframes, and by then enough insects and forest debris should have fallen into it to make you forget all about the chlorine taste :).

[paul johnson]

were the AM Parts A&B properly reacted before adding to the water?

was water prefiltered?

was dosing performed properly, i.e. was too much used?

was a proper contact time observed before drinking?

Alternatively, UV-C purification (SteriPen and AquaStar devices) is essentially equivalent to the range of “bugs” targeted by AM purification (i.e., protozoan cysts, bacteria, and viruses – neither method is particularly effective against larger parasites, which, generally speaking, are rarely encountered in NA). Might be a good alternative to look into. Plus UV-C has the added benefits of adding no taste to the water, as well as a very short dosing time (45-90 seconds) with no additional wait time to drink. UV-C does require batts though (other than SODIS which has an approx. 6hr downside).

just a thought.

[Mark]

Personally, I really *like* the AM taste. Kind of refreshing. Maybe it’s just me, though… Based on my own experience, I think the strength of the flavor has to do with the volume of the dosage, the quality of the water, and how long the water has been sitting around post-treatment. Sometimes I’ll treat before I go to bed, and the same water has less taste in the morning than the previous night.
-Mark

[Michele Mason]

OK, I’m glad it’s not some hereditary disease ;) I think I’ll try some tablets next time to see if there’s a lingering aftertaste. I’m a huge water drinker all the time (I don’t drink anything else regularly) so maybe that’s why I’m more sensitive too the tartness.

Anyone have experience with the chlorine tablets? Does they have a similar lemony aftertaste? I’ve tried iodine, yuck too (but I can tolerate it better than the AM, but then, there’s that stupid glass bottle with the metal cap!)

Thanks for the replies.

[Steven Miller]

Chlorine is just plain awful! Iodine’s taste can be couteracted with vitamin “C” tabs added after treatment. But both chlorine and iodine are ineffective against giaria w/o a long wait. (Don’t ask how I KNOW!)

[Jeremy Lynn Franchow]

I use the micropur tablets and yes it has the same chlorine aftertaste…but nothing close to tapwater in SLC. When the water sat overnight it was greatly reduced.

[Johnathan White]

I have used the Katadyn Micropur tablets and Auqa Mira as well as living half my life in LA. I would say, LA was the worst tasting, then the Micropur, then the AM. Even sitting overnight, the Micropur tablets had a strong like ozone smell and taste even after sitting overnight. The AM has a “hint” but I cannot taste any “flavor” from it.

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