The city is adding soda ash to our water

Ugh, I'm so pissed. I wrote you a reply and it didn't post.

Basically soda ash is sodium carbonate, which is related to sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).

I know bottled water companies sometimes add a little sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to bottled water to add a little bit of mineral value and give it a sparkling fresh taste. It probably neutralizes any odors too.

As for sodium carbonate, your city's water may be on the acidic side, so by adding sodium carbonate - the pH of the water will be raised from acidic to neutral (water for drinking should be neutral at pH 7.0). http://www.pwgazette.com/sodaash.htm

Based on this link, sodium carbonate is also used for water purification: http://www.chemicalland21.com/arokor...0CARBONATE.htm

Your city will be adding safe levels - sodium carbonate is safe for the environment, which is why people use it for their laundry detergent (washing soda).

And just so you know, often times bottled water is no better than city water. In fact, I've heard that the FDA has stricter requirements for tap water than they do for bottled water! So if you decide to go the bottled route, choose carefully to make sure you are getting quality filtered water.