My husband had a harmless habit: waking up at night and drinking straight from the bathroom tap. I teased him at first, but something about bathroom water never felt right to me.

He insisted, “Water is water,” so I finally decided to test it. What I learned surprised both of us. Kitchen taps are usually connected directly to the main cold-water supply, but bathroom taps may run through older pipes or even a storage tank, allowing water to sit and collect residue or trace metals.

I filled two glasses — kitchen vs. bathroom — and the difference was clear: the bathroom water looked dull and tasted metallic. A home test confirmed it. Not unsafe, but not ideal. Now he keeps a bedside water bottle — and I get to say, “Told you so.”