Safe Sipping?

This probably won't go down easy: Most public water sources don't serve up the filtered variety, says Jack Krecek of Halsey Taylor, one of the country's top-selling drinking fountain manufacturers (who reports that fewer than 5 percent of the fountains his company sells are filtered). All water fountains should have a strainer in the spout to catch large particles, but they won't keep out lead or chlorine, or improve taste the way home-variety filters can. If you have to drink from a fountain or public faucet, let the water run for a few seconds to flush away any grime that may have accumulated in the pipes since the last sip. - M.O.