Water in tea

Water, obviously, is the main ingredient in tea. If the tea you brew does not taste good, it is possible that the problem is that the water rather than the tea.

What you want is clean-tasting water having a neutral pH and some but not too many minerals. 

In Billings, the tap water is generally good. Most of the year it is clean tasting and lacking in off-flavors. There are times of the year, though, particularly in the spring, when the water needs some additional treatment.

During spring runoff, the water may have vegetal flavors that compete with the tea. Also, during some times of year water treatment requires the city to add more chlorine to be safe. During these times, at least, a simple water filter that uses activated carbon (like a Brita) can help. Another thing that helps, at least with the chlorine, is to draw the water from the tap and then let it just sit on the counter for a day. 

Well water varies a great deal in quality. Wells may produce briny water. In this case, a more sophisticated filter, such as one that uses reverse osmosis, may be needed. In oil-producing regions, such as far eastern Montana, for example, well water may be contaminated with sulfur compounds. In those areas, bottled water may be the best option for making tea, although that will make your cup of tea more expensive.

One traditional way to deal with hard water is to add a flavor to the tea. This is the legendary origin of Earl Grey tea: according to one story, the water where Grey lived in Northumberland was so hard that it was impossible to make a good cup of tea. He ordered his kitchen to figure out a solution, and they came up with the idea of adding some bergamot oil to the tea. (This story is probably wrong, but it contains many elements of truth, so it is widely believed).

Distilled water might seem like an option, but distillation removes too much. A very small amount of minerals and dissolved gases is desirable in water and these are removed when water is boiled and distilled. Even allowing water to boil for too long removes too much of the dissolved gases in tap water and will make a tea that tastes flat.