Safety/cleanliness of Water machines/ Reusing plastic bottles.

[JimmyJ]

Very recently I started using a drinking water dispenser machine for refilling water bottles.

 

However, I'm feeling like no longer doing that, and buying filled water bottles in stores again - increasing plastic waste.

 

I question how well maintained/clean the dispenser is.

People could accidentally touch the spout - it's fairly easy to do if one is not careful.

 

This was also the first time I've reused single use drinking water bottles as sold in convenience stores.

 

There is controversy over the possibility of leaching chemicals from the plastic into the water, as well as the possibility of bacterial growth in the reused bottles.

 

Another solution would be purchasing reusable stainless steel or glass water bottles.

But that would involve filling them from a water refill machine.

 

Still deciding how to resolve this.

Edited April 27, 2022 by JimmyJ

[scubascuba3]

you can get bigger bottles delivered but then you have to hump them about putting your back at risk and a possible hernia, personally i just fill up 6L bottles in the 1 baht machines, I'll die of something else

[Photoguy21]

It may have changed now, I hope so but a while back they found that 75% of the machines were not cleaned, the water dispensing system I am referring to. Many are regularly maintained but there is no way for the customer to know if the one they are using has clean pipes that dispense the water or not. I would stick to the bottled water just to be on the safe side

[LarrySR]

A friend of mine has a machine and she is very conscientious, does the proper scheduled servicing to the filter. Jomtien, Theprasit 17 in front of the ThonBura hotel.

I would guess a significant percentage don't.

[bbko]

Bring a small cloth damp with water and bleach, wipe the spigot.  

Me personally, I get water delivered to my home every few weeks.  I've been to the place/factory where my water comes from, looks like a good set up for me, 5 years and never a water related illness.

 

 

[scubascuba3]

56 minutes ago, LarrySR said:

A friend of mine has a machine and she is very conscientious, does the proper scheduled servicing to the filter. Jomtien, Theprasit 17 in front of the ThonBura hotel.

I would guess a significant percentage don't.

No such place on googlemaps

[LarrySR]

7 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

No such place on googlemaps

Villa Thongbura 

She also operates the hair salon there. Sresara Salon. Excellent. 

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by LarrySR

[Sheryl]

3 hours ago, Photoguy21 said:

It may have changed now, I hope so but a while back they found that 75% of the machines were not cleaned, the water dispensing system I am referring to.

 

Unfortunately this is still the case in most places. It is not just the spigots to worry about. All manner of nasties can and do grow in long unchanged filters inside these things.  I would avoid these machines if you can. Of course there are exceptions abut no way to know which.

 

If you are living in a house, consider rain water catchment plus a countertop filter. Otherwise, consider having your water delivered to you in large bottles as others have mentioned. Much cheaper and environmentally friendly than buying smaller plastic bottles of water.

[jvs]

23 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Otherwise, consider having your water delivered to you in large bottles as others have mentioned.

I have used them in the past .........until i looked into one of them and saw squirmy things

on the bottom.

Then again what is ideal?

[Speedo1968]

I reuse my own Singha 5 litre water bottles.   8 boxes by 4 bottles.
A friend who has his own water purifying plant collects the empties and returns them refilled to my door as and when required.   Cost 1baht per litre.   

 

I used to work in farming visiting many every month.   The farms used the large 30 / 50 litre ( ? ) bottles.    On a number of occasions all farm staff fell ill making it impossible to operate the farm properly.

Where I live now I have found nematodes in house tap water and also a couple of times at a hotel.
Once had some kind of green soft algae in the water after local supply had been cut off for repairs.

 

 

[scubascuba3]

i checked my toilet cistern the other day, it had one cm layer of mud at the bottom, that comes in via the condo pipes, may have never been cleaned before so 10 years worth, i moved in 18 months ago. Shows what comes into sink taps too

[NancyL]

As one person mentioned, Hubby and I personally know the owner of the machine we use and she takes very good care of it.  Many people in our condo use it.  We change replace our plastic bottles every couple months and store them in a dark room or dark kitchen drawer after filling to try to reduce plastic leaching into the water.  

 

Before the owner of the mini-mart in our condo bought her water machine, we were somewhat concerned about the machine across the soi that we used.  Didn't know if it was properly maintained.