It probably does, I only will be using the water for washing up and brushing my teeth... I don't drink a lot of water, and when I do I want it cold so I keep some bottles in my cooler. If I were drinking the water, I'd probably have used something different so that I wouldn't get that "garden hose taste". I'm also with you on the fitting... but in the limited time I had to get it all together so I could hit the road, I went to the local hardware in town and that elbow was the only type they had.