Question:
CA recently passed laws requiring a certain level of honesty in advertising. Water labeled drinking water can be filtered tap water, but water labeled spring water must actually come from a spring, though not necessarilly the exact same spring named on the label

Answer: "Traveler's Syndrome" is not just a story. It's plenty documented and tested. When you travel further from your home, you get exposed to bacteria and spoors that are different from those in your local area. The most common outcome of this is digestive upset. No water from anywhere is completely sterile or devoid of local bacteria unless you're drinking distilled water. This is completely normal and not something to be paranoid about.

But when you go to a place that's unfamiliar with strange bacteria your body might react badly to it until it adjusts. It doesn't happen to everyone, and it can impact people to differing degrees. So bringing bottled water that your body is adjusted to isn't completely unreasonable.

It's important to differentiate between water that doesn't taste very good, and water that is actually *bad*, meaning you shouldn't be drinking it. It's not unusual for the water to be fine from a health standpoint, but to have an unpleasant taste. That's how it is in Montpelier (Vermont). I'm not very fond of the water in Waterbury either, but my well water here at home is just fine to me