In a message dated 2/11/02 12:02:56 AM, Jim writes: << 1. Do you Not filter WELL water at marinas as you fill your tanks for shower and sink use, including both Hot and Cold water used for rinsing food, washing dishes, bathing and brushing teeth, etc.?>> We use a simple fine mesh SS filter on the tank inlet to keep out particulate matter. Before filling we ask where the marina water supply comes from. In most cases it is city water and is drinkable. If it is well water or comes from an unknown source we go to step 2 below. <<2. Do you add a biocide or other water treatment tablet or fluid to your tanks when filling them with Well and/or City water? If so, what brand name do you use?>> We use simple household bleach for suspect water supplies, about 1 oz. for every 10 gallons of water - Clorox is the name that comes to mind. This gives the water a distinctive taste that requires step 3. <<3. Does your charcoal filter remove bad tastes from Well water, such as sulfur and heavy iron, etc. and make your potable water at the galley sink taste good? If yes, what brand do you use?>> We use an undersink filter, purchased at the Sears Roebuck plumbing dept for about $30. It uses a charcoal cartridge to remove unwanted tastes and odors. The cartridge, $10, is replaced whenever the chlorine smell becomes obvious. Normally a single cartridge will last an entire season. <<I agree with you that once you get into New York, Lake Champlain, the Rideau Waterway, 1000 Islands and Trent-Severn, most water, even Well water tastes pretty good. It is the Mid-South, South and South East including the Chesapeake Bay that concerns me.>> Me too. I grew up in the MidWest where the water contained so much dissolved geology that you had to drink it with a knife and fork and chew well before swallowing. Larry Z