I could only drink filtered or boiled tap water when I was in the SF area. The chlorine taste is too strong.

Were you actually in SF? I moved here from Southern California, and the tap water in both apartments I've lived in has been extremely drinkable straight out of the tap. No chlorine or mineral taste at all. I'd go so far as to compare it to NYC tap water.

I was in downtown SF and also had the same experience in San Mateo. The water dispensed at the airport is also pretty vile, after a transatlantic flight when the chlorine had time to disperse it actually smells like swamp water.

I don't know then...everyone I've ever discussed it with has praised SF water. I'm really sensitive to the taste & smell of chlorine and minerals too. I don't know what could be responsible for the difference that you experienced.

A friend's place by Alamo Square had much better water than my former apartment closer to downtown.

I could taste too much earth in it. When I would look at some of people their own made filtering systems I'd see a lot of earth as well. The fact that you need a filtering system at all was a bit of a culture shock. I've seen exactly one family with a filtering system in my country and found it tough to taste any difference.

The only exception to this is water from the taps in Yosemite Park. That was amazing water.