Water Cooler & Bottled Water Quality

[kbb]

We have a Water Cooler up here in Phu Phaman. 

A great thing. 

 

Question is the quality of the water we can have delivered. 

 

They deliver for 10/baht a 19. liter tank. 

 

That seems awfully cheap, as we paid 40 baht/tank down in Pattaya. 

 

I'm worried that the cheaper tanks just aren't treated/filtered very well. 

 

We use the branded water from the stores that come in 6l bottles.

 

Anyone have bad experiences with the water up here?

 

[Moonlover]

We live not far from you. Just over the big hill to your north. We use the 19 liter bottles at 10 bahts and have had no issues. Did the same in Udon Thani as well.

 

These water bottling companies do have to be licensed and are inspected by the food standards agencies. If you have any doubts ask to visit the plant.

 

 

[KhunBENQ]

We are about 30 km from your place and most people use the water from the 19 liter (5 gallon?) bottles.

Business would not exist long if the water is suspicious.

[KeeTua]

Even if the water quality is good to begin with and all filtering systems well maintained on correct schedules, which is questionable given the typical Isaan lack of attention to details, I often have wondered about the bottles themselves. I seriously doubt they are cleaned well, if at all, prior to refilling.

 

I often see the bottles in the back of pickups and iron buffaloes along with the spray tanks used to spray chemicals at the farms. How much cross contamination takes place? Are they mixing anything in the bottles themselves? I'm pretty sure water from other sources than the water plant ends up in these bottles too. Think water from ponds and klongs.

As Moonlover suggests a visit to the plant is a good idea.

 

[fishtank]

Logic tells me that 10 Baht is way too cheap.

Cost of water, filters, bottles, delivery, staff.

Don't add up in my view.

Everything is filtered out to leave the water sterile.

At least the branded water in shops will have something in it.

Minerals etc.

[Moonlover]

2 hours ago, fishtank said:

Logic tells me that 10 Baht is way too cheap.

Cost of water, filters, bottles, delivery, staff.

Don't add up in my view.

Everything is filtered out to leave the water sterile.

At least the branded water in shops will have something in it.

Minerals etc.

OK, you rely on your (flawed?) logic, I'll rely on my 5 years experience of drinking from the large 19 bottles without any ill affects.

 

I have visited bottling plants and I'm quite satisfied with their procedures.

 

@kbbs concerns seem to be focused on the fact they're much cheaper out in the sticks than in Pattaya. My retort to that is that he was being ripped off in Pattaya.

 

I'd much rather pay 10 baht for my water and take the very minor risk that its not potable than fork out for expensive bottled water whilst contributing the the plastic waste problem to boot.

 

 

 

[owenm]

I would be concerned more about cleaning and maintenance of your water cooler than the filtered water bottle itself.. When changing over the bottles, if the system isn't kept thoroughly clean, then this is an area for bacteria growth.

 

From the top of the unit to the water outlet tap.. A spray bottle with half vinegar, half water and some detergent.. Clean the system, flush with water, then flush out first half litre from your new bottled water.. That's my advice anyway.. 

[Matzzon]

23 hours ago, kbb said:

Anyone have bad experiences with the water up here?

Yes. Let´s say that it´s good and it won´t kill you. Just drink your water, and be happy.

 

If you´re out in traffic once a day, that would be more dangerous to both health and life.

[Tambs2020]

You could always get a water testing kit and check it out ????

[Max69xl]

4 hours ago, fishtank said:

Logic tells me that 10 Baht is way too cheap.

Cost of water, filters, bottles, delivery, staff.

Don't add up in my view.

Everything is filtered out to leave the water sterile.

At least the branded water in shops will have something in it.

Minerals etc.

Common thai water in plastic bottles sold at Tesco or 7/11 are exactly same type of water. It doesn't matter what brand it is. The water cleaning method is "Double reversed osmosis" + UV. There's nothing in after the cleaning process, no minerals or salts. It's same if you buy water from the machines you can see here and there for 1 baht/l. The machines have to be checked/maintained on a regular basis for the water to be safe to drink. 

[ChrisKC]

2 hours ago, Moonlover said:

OK, you rely on your (flawed?) logic, I'll rely on my 5 years experience of drinking from the large 19 bottles without any ill affects.

 

I have visited bottling plants and I'm quite satisfied with their procedures.

 

@kbbs concerns seem to be focused on the fact they're much cheaper out in the sticks than in Pattaya. My retort to that is that he was being ripped off in Pattaya.

 

I'd much rather pay 10 baht for my water and take the very minor risk that its not potable than fork out for expensive bottled water whilst contributing the the plastic waste problem to boot.

 

 

 

I agree, for the last 17 years I have been drinking water here in Thailand that is delivered to me for a pittance. It tastes fine and had not the slightest issue of any kind. Some research into bottled water from Supermarkets and other hopelessly expensive outlets might reveal some interesting information you will be surprised to learn!

This is true of USA and Europe where the Scientific establishment doesn't understand why people have a fixation about believing bottle water from large corporations making incredible amounts money from products that offer little or even no benefit than that from the tap!

[Presnock]

along these same lines, Pepsi cola puts out a bottled water, AQUAFINA or something like that which the US govt now says is nothing more than tap water.  No chemicals other than those put in by the local water purification system.  So, why pay for expensive bottled water if the local water is deemed clean?

Pepsi is now required to change the labeling on the bottles!

 

[Max69xl]

28 minutes ago, Presnock said:

along these same lines, Pepsi cola puts out a bottled water, AQUAFINA or something like that which the US govt now says is nothing more than tap water.  No chemicals other than those put in by the local water purification system.  So, why pay for expensive bottled water if the local water is deemed clean?

Pepsi is now required to change the labeling on the bottles!

 

Define "local water". Do you mean the water in plastic bottles or what? 

[Tord55]

23 hours ago, Tambs2020 said:

You could always get a water testing kit and check it out ????

I seriously doubt there is a good enough testing system to detect all issues you might come across.

To name a few:

 

To prevent polio infection you need to boil all water, thoroughly (not just let it simmer and cool off).

Metal contanimation, arsenic, antibiotica, pesticides. Typical things that might be found, which are hard to detect.

 

UV light is excellent to kill most live virus, bacteria and lesser animals. And good filters takes care of the more normal stuff.

 

Then there others like radioactive residue, but that is really not usual around here, unless there are mines nearby.

[Beggar]

I am afraid the only way to insure a good water quality is to have your own well mantained filtering system. I never would trust people delivering water to my home. Same with the machines you can find at many places. There have been checks in Bangkok of such machines several times with not so positive results. 

 

 

[NanLaew]

8 hours ago, Tord55 said:

I seriously doubt there is a good enough testing system to detect all issues you might come across.

To name a few:

 

To prevent polio infection you need to boil all water, thoroughly (not just let it simmer and cool off).

Metal contanimation, arsenic, antibiotica, pesticides. Typical things that might be found, which are hard to detect.

 

UV light is excellent to kill most live virus, bacteria and lesser animals. And good filters takes care of the more normal stuff.

 

Then there others like radioactive residue, but that is really not usual around here, unless there are mines nearby.

There's a shop in Nakhon Nowhere that sells the comprehensive water testing kits that you suggest haven't been invented yet. They're at the back of the shop, just right of the tinfoil hats.

[Max69xl]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

There's a shop in Nakhon Nowhere that sells the comprehensive water testing kits that you suggest haven't been invented yet. They're at the back of the shop, just right of the tinfoil hats.

No water is supposed to be sold in Thailand without the (Double)Reversed Osmosis + UV treatment (and sometimes even ozone treatment) methods being used. Only UV and filters are not enough. Just google it. 

[RocketDog]

On 11/6/2019 at 10:03 AM, Moonlover said:

OK, you rely on your (flawed?) logic, I'll rely on my 5 years experience of drinking from the large 19 bottles without any ill affects.

 

I have visited bottling plants and I'm quite satisfied with their procedures.

 

@kbbs concerns seem to be focused on the fact they're much cheaper out in the sticks than in Pattaya. My retort to that is that he was being ripped off in Pattaya.

 

I'd much rather pay 10 baht for my water and take the very minor risk that its not potable than fork out for expensive bottled water whilst contributing the the plastic waste problem to boot.

 

 

 

Talk about flawed logic.

 

Because the water has not caused noticeable (to you) issues then it must be clean.

 

Many carcinogenic agents take years to show physiological damage.

 

Many people smoke for years and don't have lung cancer so the risk is obviously a myth.

 

Many of the first responders to the 9/11 tragedy developed various cancers years after the tragedy so clearly there is no relationship to their service.

 

You get the idea.

. ????

[BritManToo]

45 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

Many carcinogenic agents take years to show physiological damage.

Not sure I need to worry much about what happens to me in 20 or 30 years.

I'd be happy with another 5 or 6.

[Moonlover]

51 minutes ago, RocketDog said:

Talk about flawed logic.

 

Because the water has not caused noticeable (to you) issues then it must be clean.

 

Many carcinogenic agents take years to show physiological damage.

 

Many people smoke for years and don't have lung cancer so the risk is obviously a myth.

 

Many of the first responders to the 9/11 tragedy developed various cancers years after the tragedy so clearly there is no relationship to their service.

 

You get the idea.

. ????

Quite frankly, as a fit and healthy 73 year old, I don't give a monkey's toss about such hypothesis.

 

In the end, we're all going to die of something. And if it happens to be something that we imbibed 5, 10 or even 20 years ago, what difference does it make. We will not know anyway.

 

IMO there is far too much paranoia on this topic of water and it's has all been created by guess who. The bottled water industry. That's who.

 

 

[farmerjo]

The old everyone wants to live forever is alive and well 

Ban everything.????i won't drink bottled water because i live in a glass house. 

[kbb]

So it sounds like no one has said they actually got sick from the cheaper water bottles. 

 

Even though we just grabbed a dozen branded bottles from Tesco, I think we'll try one of the 10 baht tanks. 

 

If I croak, I'll post something using the Ouija button on Thai Visa. 

 

'Thanks for the discussion - 

[farmerjo]

One of the best investments made here.

The Mil is not happy though as she used to get all the small plastic water bottles to store bamboo shoots in.