Tap water varies greatly even over a small area. New York City, for example, is extremely proud of the quality of its water, which comes from reservoirs upstate. I noticed it was good before I ever found out that it&#x27;s something they like to boast about.<p>In DC, however, the chlorine is over the top, especially at times when they&#x27;re flushing the lines.<p>I find that most places are somewhere in between these two extremes, even just outside the cities, where different municipalities have their own reservoirs and sources.<p>As for paper bags, why not just use a reusable bag. In many places in the US, plastic bags are taxed (5¢ or so), with the funds going to clean up rivers. It&#x27;s led to a major change in behavior.