Bottled drinking water - long time use

[ravip]

As the most common drinking water in Thailand been bottled water, how healthy is it? 

It seems that the Reverse Osmosis process significantly reduce the good minerals and ions in the water.

Is this correct? If so, what alternatives does one have ?

Are all bottled water filtered via the Reverse Osmosis process?

[ukrules]

Not all bottled water is created in the same way. I believe most of it is distilled

 

Some brands reinsert the minerals that are lost in the distillation process, some don't appear to do this and essentially sell distilled water.

 

You can tell which is which without any pre knowledge by boiling an electric kettle with some brands of water repeatedly over a week or two and watch the mineral residue build up by the day.

 

Singha = no mineral residue in my kettle

Nestle = lots of mineral residue in my kettle.

 

So personally I purchase Singha for hot drinks and Nestle for drinking 'neat'.

[ukrules]

I may be wrong on the distillation process but some of them do put the minerals back in once whatever cleansing method is done.

 

I had one of those water testing devices that told you how many parts per million of 'stuff' was in there - different brands had very different results.

 

 

[ravip]

Just now, ukrules said:

I may be wrong on the distillation process but some of them do put the minerals back in once whatever cleansing method is done.

 

I had one of those water testing devices that told you how many parts per million of 'stuff' was in there - different brands had very different results.

 

 

Thank you for the info.

I guess you are refering to the TDS meter.

[ukrules]

12 minutes ago, ravip said:

Thank you for the info.

I guess you are refering to the TDS meter.

 

Yes, it was something like that - a Thai version, I lost it years ago though - will be somewhere around the house I guess.

 

[scubascuba3]

I wouldn't worry about it, other things much more important like diet

[Lacessit]

Just boil the water that comes out of the tap.

Boiling steam distills chlorine and chloramines. It kills bacteria ,viruses and parasites such as giardia.

Two problems with bottled water. First, some of the lesser known brands could well be water straight out of a tap. Second is most bottled water is in plastic, with plasticizers leaching out of the container. Some plasticizers mimic oestrogen, a female hormone.

I get my water from a well in the village, Tastes good after it is boiled.

I am always amused by people who have elaborate and expensive filtration systems.

Edited October 29, 2023 by Lacessit

[impulse]

26 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Just boil the water that comes out of the tap.

Boiling steam distills chlorine and chloramines. It kills bacteria ,viruses and parasites such as giardia.

Two problems with bottled water. First, some of the lesser known brands could well be water straight out of a tap. Second is most bottled water is in plastic, with plasticizers leaching out of the container. Some plasticizers mimic oestrogen, a female hormone.

I get my water from a well in the village, Tastes good after it is boiled.

I am always amused by people who have elaborate and expensive filtration systems.

 

Boiling isn't as useful in removing lead from water that's been sent through very old pipes that are either made of lead (not so common) or soldered with lead (very common).  I trusted the quality of the water as it left the treatment plant, but not the quality of the water as it entered my apartment many miles away. 

 

Not to mention the lack of back flow (anti-siphon) valves along the way...  No telling what's been hoovered into the line by someone's Rube Goldberg water system.

 

[KhunLA]

50 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Just boil the water that comes out of the tap.

Boiling steam distills chlorine and chloramines. It kills bacteria ,viruses and parasites such as giardia.

Two problems with bottled water. First, some of the lesser known brands could well be water straight out of a tap. Second is most bottled water is in plastic, with plasticizers leaching out of the container. Some plasticizers mimic oestrogen, a female hormone.

I get my water from a well in the village, Tastes good after it is boiled.

I am always amused by people who have elaborate and expensive filtration systems.

A simple 2 or 3 stage countertop water filter will take out most things you list, if not all and more.  But won't take out any metals that may or may not be in the water.  Strange that our TDS meter registers tap water at about 170-180 ppm before & after filtered 😂 which could just be minerals in the water ... or not.

 

We use one for rain water now.   Main drinking water is from RO, delivered in 18L bottles, with reading of <10, and all of ฿20, too easy & inexpensive. Richard Barrow  did a test of most drinking water from 7-11+ and some surprising results on the TDS meter.  So most safe to drink, aside from the soft plastic vessels & silly cost.

Edited October 30, 2023 by KhunLA

[Lacessit]

4 hours ago, impulse said:

 

Boiling isn't as useful in removing lead from water that's been sent through very old pipes that are either made of lead (not so common) or soldered with lead (very common).  I trusted the quality of the water as it left the treatment plant, but not the quality of the water as it entered my apartment many miles away. 

 

Not to mention the lack of back flow (anti-siphon) valves along the way...  No telling what's been hoovered into the line by someone's Rube Goldberg water system.

 

Agree boiling does not remove heavy metals. It's moot whether lead is present in any quantity of concern. Ion exchange or RO would be needed. If one is not fussy about having iron in their water, steel wool does quite a good job in taking heavy metals out.

Most plants treating tap water for domestic consumption employ floc clarification to knock out suspended solids, said process precipitates out the heavy metals as well.

[Lacessit]

3 hours ago, KhunLA said:

A simple 2 or 3 stage countertop water filter will take out most things you list, if not all and more.  But won't take out any metals that may or may not be in the water.  Strange that our TDS meter registers tap water at about 170-180 ppm before & after filtered 😂 which could just be minerals in the water ... or not.

 

We use one for rain water now.   Main drinking water is from RO, delivered in 18L bottles, with reading of <10, and all of ฿20, too easy & inexpensive. Richard Barrow  did a test of most drinking water from 7-11+ and some surprising results on the TDS meter.  So most safe to drink, aside from the soft plastic vessels & silly cost.

IIRC the upper limit for TDS in drinking water for human consumption is 500 ppm.

Nothing strange about your before and after meter readings. Filters remove suspended solids. Dissolved solids go through. Your lack of variation is simply saying the input water has negligible suspended solids.

[KhunLA]

41 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

IIRC the upper limit for TDS in drinking water for human consumption is 500 ppm.

Nothing strange about your before and after meter readings. Filters remove suspended solids. Dissolved solids go through. Your lack of variation is simply saying the input water has negligible suspended solids.

Agree, and did take out chlorine taste/smell, and with .XXX micon filter, all biologicals.   Just as stated, maybe not any metals, if having, and I don't think any countertop filter will do that, as I asked the dealer if they even offered one, low or high end ... answer was NO.   Hence why we went with RO delivered.

 

170-180 is standard ppm for tap water.

[ravip]

Aren't there any test results or data available to the general public on the suitability of drinking water from the tap? Many Thais too consume only bottled water, even for cooking - when I ask them why, they say they aren't sure of the quality of the tap water - even after boiling.

 

How common are heavy metals. lead, chemicals and other serious pollutants been found in the tap water - any reliable data available?

 

[Celsius]

Aura, Mont Fleur is all I buy.

 

Good ph levels too

[kawikasudo]

Mont Fleur and Aura seems to be the two top rated mineral waters. That’s the two brands I buy.

[Lacessit]

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Agree, and did take out chlorine taste/smell, and with .XXX micon filter, all biologicals.   Just as stated, maybe not any metals, if having, and I don't think any countertop filter will do that, as I asked the dealer if they even offered one, low or high end ... answer was NO.   Hence why we went with RO delivered.

 

170-180 is standard ppm for tap water.

One would need a cation exchange column for heavy metals as cations, and an anion exchange column for heavy metal anions, e,g, hexavalent chromium.

I suspect your XXX filter had an activated carbon component. By themselves, physical filters do not remove chlorine and chloramines.

[KhunLA]

13 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

One would need a cation exchange column for heavy metals as cations, and an anion exchange column for heavy metal anions, e,g, hexavalent chromium.

I suspect your XXX filter had an activated carbon component. By themselves, physical filters do not remove chlorine and chloramines.

I does & did, as a 3 stage filter.  Metals are my concern, hence the RO delivery route.

[KhunLA]

For those 'patient, DIY folks:

 

 

[novacova]

Lime scale, calcium carbonate is a concern. It certainly isn’t good for the body given that it’s difficult to the body to assimilate and build up in the arteries. I was at a food court a few days ago early in the morning and a mu ka vendor was filling up the big pot with tap water, I’ve eaten there before, never again. Buyer’s beware.