Drinking Water Dispensers

[Billfo]

Just a quick question.

Is the water from the water dispensing machines (1 baht for a litre) that I see around Chiang Mai ok for falang to drink? I know it must be clean to a certain level but enough for a falang stomach?

cheers!

Edited April 8, 2008 by Billfo

[SamSipEt]

Probably ok if you have been here for a while and been exposed to the local bacteria but if you have just arrived best give it a miss.

Lots of people have the water delivered in a crate of 24 x 1 liter bottles. Not sure of the cost today but it used be 25 baht for a crate (bound to more expensive now) and you have to pay a refundable deposit for the crate, bottles and bottle tops. A more cumbersome supply is the large white 20 liter plastic bottles costing 15 baht each if you pick them up yourself (you have to pay a deposit for these as well and keep the receipt to get you deposit back when you have finished using the service).

[Jefferson]

Just a quick question. Is the water from the water dispensing machines (1 baht for a litre) that I see around Chiang Mai ok for falang to drink? I know it must be clean to a certain level but enough for a falang stomach?

Or is it just for the little brown people with concrete stomachs, you mean?

[Blinky Bill]

Or is it just for the little brown people with concrete stomachs, you mean?

Do you mean the Kalahari Bushmen?

[tigerbeer]

Or is it just for the little brown people with concrete stomachs, you mean?

Do you mean the Kalahari Bushmen?

i guess it might be the same one. look at BB's profile page people.

[Bagwain]

If it is an RO machine, then when it is new it will most likely be ok! Typically the Thai's won't service it properly or at all!!!

They where copied of a business friend of mine and before he new it they where all over the place.

Even the bought water is questionable for the same reasons. Stick with the brewery waters, they are a better bet.

In Pats about 2 yrs ago the authorities did a lightning raid and checked the standards of the bottled water supplies and guess what? 80% substandard!!!

I should know better, however I was in a hurry one day on Pheonix golf course and I filled my water bottle from one of those opaque water bottle dispensers and wolla - GASTRO for a week.

Water can keep you alive, but it can also kill you!

Edited April 8, 2008 by Bagwain

[Artey]

It's fine. What ever doesn't kill you, can only make u stronger.

I had that bottle delivery service when i first moved here (20 x 1litre bottles for 17 simply cause it was convenient, but after moving to my current apartment i've been using the local water dispensing machine (only 50 satang per litre) and it's fine, i just bought 4 of the 6 litre Nestle water bottles (the ones with handles) and i fill them up every 5 or 6 days or so. Works out to be about 12 B for 24 litres, and i have learnt how to balance all 4 of them on my bike

[Greenside]

Having bought the big Nestle/Singha bottles for a while and got tired of carrying them on the bike, we changed to the multi bottle crates and then with the aid of a cooler type dispenser to the giant size and I can't honestly tell the difference (except it's cooler and more convenient now...)

[SwaziBird]

It's fine. What ever doesn't kill you, can only make u stronger.

I had that bottle delivery service when i first moved here (20 x 1litre bottles for 17 simply cause it was convenient, but after moving to my current apartment i've been using the local water dispensing machine (only 50 satang per litre) and it's fine, i just bought 4 of the 6 litre Nestle water bottles (the ones with handles) and i fill them up every 5 or 6 days or so. Works out to be about 12 B for 24 litres, and i have learnt how to balance all 4 of them on my bike

I worry a little about those dispensing machines.

They're hooked up to the regular piped water supply. That's OK - but, I presume that there's some filtration/purification process before it dispenses into your bottle as drinking water, and that's OK.

The machine , presumably receives regular visits from the owner to clear the coins. That's OK - BUT, and this is what concerns me; how often do you think the filtration/purification processor gets serviced ???? - and if it does, what type of service ?????? - I wonder !

Perhaps someone on the forum has some first hand knowledge.

Can't help feeling that a proper processing plant and bottling facility is likely to be a lot more hygeinic than the dispensing machine.

Cheers

[Jefferson]

Can't help feeling that a proper processing plant and bottling facility is likely to be a lot more hygeinic than the dispensing machine.

Have you ever seen one of those on the inside?

If not, then don't go. I mean all that those places do is filter water just the same.

It's easy to taste too, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the do-it-yourself on the spot filter vending machines are actually better than some filter plants.

So, just taste it; municiple water supply is safe enough as it is, so if after filtering it tastes neutral then that's really all that you could ask for.

[SamSipEt]

If it is an RO machine, then when it is new it will most likely be ok! Typically the Thai's won't service it properly or at all!!!

They where copied of a business friend of mine and before he new it they where all over the place.

Even the bought water is questionable for the same reasons. Stick with the brewery waters, they are a better bet.

In Pats about 2 yrs ago the authorities did a lightning raid and checked the standards of the bottled water supplies and guess what? 80% substandard!!!

I should know better, however I was in a hurry one day on Pheonix golf course and I filled my water bottle from one of those opaque water bottle dispensers and wolla - GASTRO for a week.

Water can keep you alive, but it can also kill you!

Where is Pats?

[BigSnake]

Far as I know it's ok, I for one perfer my Nestle.

[Naam]

So, just taste it; municiple water supply is safe enough as it is, so if after filtering it tastes neutral then that's really all that you could ask for.

yeah right! a few thousand bacteria per milliliter won't change the taste too much

[helloall]

ok, I for 1 have a machine. Most cheap brands are basically the same. Mine is connected to the government water (naam papa) and has a prefilter which very quickly goes brown (iron). Lately its got worse so I believe that now its the dry season they are resorting to more groundwater. Next is a finer filter, followed by an activated carbon, folled by an even finer filter. Then a sediment filter and finally the ro unit. After the ro there is a small ozone generator which acts as a disinfectant.

If the filters are not regularly changed then they clog and eventually sediment will reach the ro unit. At this point, the electricity consumption sky rockets and the amount of ro water compared to the bypass water drops significantly; ie. the water and electricity costs increase. I guess 1 way around would be to remove the sediment filter and ro filter and it would be hard to tell I admit. On my machine the tds (total dissolved solids) is 136 before the ro and after the ro is 6 but dont ask me the units.

[bino]

BUT, and this is what concerns me; how often do you think the filtration/purification processor gets serviced ???? - and if it does, what type of service ?????? - I wonder !

Perhaps someone on the forum has some first hand knowledge.

We have a machine in our building, which uses a filter membrane similar to desalination systems for yachts.

The machine stops working when the membrane is no longer usable and needs replacement. I've watched them change it, and it seems like there is about 8 to 10 months of service per membrane.

[tigerbeer]

BUT, and this is what concerns me; how often do you think the filtration/purification processor gets serviced ???? - and if it does, what type of service ?????? - I wonder !

Perhaps someone on the forum has some first hand knowledge.

We have a machine in our building, which uses a filter membrane similar to desalination systems for yachts.

The machine stops working when the membrane is no longer usable and needs replacement. I've watched them change it, and it seems like there is about 8 to 10 months of service per membrane.

the machine stops working when its insane in the membrane ?

[Gravelrash]

As both the dispensor machines and filter plants are Thai businesses, I would imagine the frequency of changing filters would be similar. After all who is going to enforce it?

Did read somewhere claiming that the reuse of those clear bottles isn't good for you, true or not don't know.

Use the big bottles on a dispensor cooling machine, had no problems.

[Bagwain]

Can't help feeling that a proper processing plant and bottling facility is likely to be a lot more hygeinic than the dispensing machine.

Have you ever seen one of those on the inside?

If not, then don't go. I mean all that those places do is filter water just the same.

It's easy to taste too, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the do-it-yourself on the spot filter vending machines are actually better than some filter plants.

So, just taste it; municiple water supply is safe enough as it is, so if after filtering it tastes neutral then that's really all that you could ask for.

Jeezzus man I hope you are talking about western countries or else you will be responsible for many a person getting sick here in Thailand. I have done many domestic filter system here in Pattaya and let me tell you that the municiple water is "not fit for consumption"! The authorities even admitted that they are only treating 70% of the water at any one time. Some of the water is being piped from a river towards BKK and guess what lines the river. PIG & CHICKEN farms. So drink municiple water at your own peril. The lake is also very high in Iron & Aluminium. We should all know what Aluminium causes!!!