Is Well Water Safe To Drink / Use For Cooking

[CarolinSamui]

Hi all, can anyone tell me if it is generally considered okay to use well water for drinking and for cooking with?

I'm on Samui - if that makes any difference.....

The well we are plumbed into is not maintained by the landowner in any way........... thanks in advance for any replies - CarolinSamui

[dmax]

well i have drunk it before and it didnt do me any harm , if its boiled then it will definately be ok to drink or cook with

[SeanMoran]

well i have drunk it before and it didnt do me any harm, if its boiled then it will definitely be ok to drink or cook with.

Boil ten gallons for an hour until it bubbles away and some turns to steam, and that will take any problematic matter with it. When it's hot you can cook with it, and when it cools, you can drink it.

[goldfinger]

if it´s from a deep well , it should be okay for cooking.

if it´s only from 8 to 15 meters, i would not.

For drinking, it will be better to buy the water in this big plastic bottles,(about 10 to 12 Baht)

[dumball]

Have the water tested to be on the safe side , contaminated water can cause all kinds of health hazards , more so in rural areas from pesticides/fertilisers etc, you cannot even be sure of bottled waters purity .

[phetaroi]

There isn't a single answer to your question. To a large extent it has to do with the groundwater condition in a particular area. What flows into the groundwater in your area? Someone mentioned pollutants such as fertilizer. But of course, there are many other pollutants as well that could be in the groundwater in a particular area. That's not even mentioning the microscopic life.

As mentioned, testing is essential.

[oldthaihand]

Yes. I'd get it tested.

Boiling obviously won't make all unsafe water safe for human consumption. Probably kill all/most dangerous microbes if done for long enough.

Perhaps, would allow volatile organic compounds(VOCs) to evaporate. (Not sure about this at all.)

Doubt very highly it'd do anything about heavy metals or other dangerous substances

My 3฿.

oth

[Sheryl]

What kind of well is it? I.e.shallopw well or deep tubewell? I s it surrounded by a concrete apron with no cracks?

[Sheryl]

2 frivolous/nonsensical posts have been deleted.

[T_Dog]

Having your water tested is the best bet. Also... look to see where your and your neighbor's sewage drainage fields are. The community well (5 users) of our old rental house was within 4 meters of our home's drainage field. We moved.

[bina]

get tested regularly; even our spring water in our numerous springs is mostly not fit for drinking, not just becasue of microbes like e.coli from sewage runoff (and giardi et al) but because of chemical contaminants like runoff from fertilizers, pesticides, a lot depends on the type of soil etc.

i think maybe u could ask a more specific question in the farming forum along the lines of well water testing, its been asked before... and there are several knowlegeable people that could advise...

bina

israel

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

probably best to just buy a filter and UV treatment setup. Even if water tests ok then variables like heat, humidity, rainfall, drainage, insects, plumbing integrity, animals and many other factors can change things quickly. Why take the risk when these setups are fairly inexpensive at dept stores and home improvement places?

[JamieWakeman]

here on koh phangan you can have large 20ltr bottles of water delivered to the house and they cost 30baht for every refill...is it the same on Samui ?

[bubba]

Boiling water will of course only affect microbial contamination, and to an extent, volatile organic compounds. Boiling will not remove all traces of volatile organic compounds, however. Some compounds form what is called an azeotrope and will not boil off completely at 100°C. Boiling does nothing to remove heavy metals or heavier organics (such as pesticides), but boiling would actually concentrate them as the water evaporates as steam.

As others have said here, the only way to know for sure is having the water tested by a high quality laboratory. Even deeper groundwater can be contaminated by naturally occurring heavy metals, or even radioactivity. Such is the case with alpha emitting elements such as radon and uranium. And yes, uranium as well as radon can be found in in groundwater in Thailand, as is radioactivity in the form of alpha and beta emitters, both of which are not good at all for you to drink.

If you do decide to get your water tested, take care in selecting a testing laboratory, as the level of quality is very uneven in Thailand.