Which Garden Hoses are Our Safest Bet?

When I purchased a new hose a few years ago, a “drinking water safe” label on some hoses caught my eye. Calling those hoses “safe” implies that others are not.

I recalled the interesting flavor of hose water from my childhood—the terroir of a hot summer day, perfectly paired with freezie pops. Turns out, the je ne sais pas in hose water is the taste of toxic volatile compounds. Is nothing sacred?

In 2016, Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, MI published findings from a study of 32 garden hoses.