drinking well water

[stevehaigh]

i've been using water from my well to make coffee and tea because i can't be bothered buying bottled water all the time.

because its boiled i'm not worried about bacteria etc, and the water looks very clean and tastes fine. but i do wonder if there might me any nasty chemicals from underground, like maybe tin or something.

i'm in rawai, just at the foot of the hills that run between rawai and kata

anyone every tested ground water around here?

thx

[Shot]

I would be more concerned about any sewer systems (or lack of) nearby. IMHO

[steven100]

I wouldn't be drinking it even though you boil it. Of coarse it's going to be contaminated ... it's a well, who knows what is dead in there or what leaks into it ..... the thought makes me cringe !

how much does a bottle of safe bottled water cost .....

Thai's die from drinking unsafe water .........

[grumpyoldman]

I started to use it recently for coffee also Steve, same scenario. Then I noticed I started to get breakouts, skin rash, on the insides of my elbows which years ago was diagnosed by Dr. Chusak (during a bad drought year) as from the metals in my shower water as my well had gotten low back then.

Equated that from years ago with the recent experience, stopped using the well water for my coffee, rash gone.

[stevehaigh]

thanks for a useful informed answer GOM

in response to the 1st two answers, no chance of anything dead in there as its covered and no sewers anywhere close.

i've been using it for about a month and haven't noticed any effects, but maybe it takes time to build up

i guess i need to use the bottled water

[stevenl]

thanks for a useful informed answer GOM

in response to the 1st two answers, no chance of anything dead in there as its covered and no sewers anywhere close.

i've been using it for about a month and haven't noticed any effects, but maybe it takes time to build up

i guess i need to use the bottled water

Just use the big cans. I'd presume they don't deliver to your door but do to the end of your soi?

[Chainsaw]

I've been using boiled well water for tea and coffee for the past 10 years with no ill effects at all.

I live in the same area as the OP.

[steelepulse]

I had a number of wells dug and all of them tested. Some were fine, while one showed traces of metals, so it's a crap shoot until you get your water tested.

[GiantFan]

Buy a RO filter. Metals will be filtered out by RO membrane.

[KarenBravo]

Lots of tin oxide nodules all over the island.

When they dug my well, there was loads.

My advice is buy the big bottles of water that fit into a dispenser. They're cheap. Don't use well water for drinking.

[Pinot]

I've wondered about this. Bottled water is cheap and we get it delivered and the TG handles all this, as well as keeping the pitcher full, but where might someone get it tested? Maybe I'll see if I can save 60 baht a month.

[billphillips]

I've wondered about this. Bottled water is cheap and we get it delivered and the TG handles all this, as well as keeping the pitcher full, but where might someone get it tested? Maybe I'll see if I can save 60 baht a month.

Another interesting point may be ..... where do these suppliers of the giant bottles get their water from? What tests and to what standard is it subjected to? What is the tested % of supplied water. Nahhhh, I'm not gana use any of that stuff thanks.

[gamini]

don't drink well water under any circumstances. Even if you boil it. I developed severe herbicide poisoning. Even though . Not only did I boil the water, but filtered it through a ceramic filter as well. My condition was serious and investigations by an agricultural expert found that there was herbicide leaking from nearby fields into the water , feeding my well. This was on my property in Sangkampeng. It took nearly 10 years to get the herbicide out of my system and even today I do not know whether there is any residue.

[Gonsalviz]

I've wondered about this. Bottled water is cheap and we get it delivered and the TG handles all this, as well as keeping the pitcher full, but where might someone get it tested? Maybe I'll see if I can save 60 baht a month.

Seems I heard the the places that sell water filters will get it done. Don't know the price but you can bet the are gonna be hard selling a filter system. The testing facilities are government I think so it should be a true test.

[DogNo1]

You can't always trust bottled water! I've been drinking my hotel brand drinking water since I arrived in Bangkok two weeks ago and have been buying 5 L. bottles of mineral water for brushing my teeth and washing fruit and vegetables. Until today, I had been feeling progressively more weak and listless each day with blurry vision. This afternoon, I read an article in the NYT about the puzzling medical case of a young woman who was admitted to the Yale-New Haven Hospital barely able to move with very low electrolyte levels. The light bulb went off! I came back to the hotel and drank several glasses of the mineral water. I recovered in two hours and have felt sharp and well since. The pain in my shoulders went away and I feel MUCH better. I am guessing that the process that some companies use to make drinking water here (probably reverse osmosis) strips the minerals from the water and they are not added back in, perhaps to lower costs. As a result, the drinking water that we are left with is similar to distilled water. I can't believe my dramatic recovery. I'm very pleased but I recommend that TV posters be careful about the water that they choose to drink! Make sure that it contains the minerals that your body needs to run well.

[expatbrit]

You can't always trust bottled water! I've been drinking my hotel brand drinking water since I arrived in Bangkok two weeks ago and have been buying 5 L. bottles of mineral water for brushing my teeth and washing fruit and vegetables. Until today, I had been feeling progressively more weak and listless each day with blurry vision. This afternoon, I read an article in the NYT about the puzzling medical case of a young woman who was admitted to the Yale-New Haven Hospital barely able to move with very low electrolyte levels. The light bulb went off! I came back to the hotel and drank several glasses of the mineral water. I recovered in two hours and have felt sharp and well since. The pain in my shoulders went away and I feel MUCH better. I am guessing that the process that some companies use to make drinking water here (probably reverse osmosis) strips the minerals from the water and they are not added back in, perhaps to lower costs. As a result, the drinking water that we are left with is similar to distilled water. I can't believe my dramatic recovery. I'm very pleased but I recommend that TV posters be careful about the water that they choose to drink! Make sure that it contains the minerals that your body needs to run well.

Please provide a link to the NYT article .................

[simon43]

Of course, the purity of well water is very much dependent upon the location of the well, seepage of pesticides etc from nearby fields.

The unlined well on my land in north Phuket is only used for guest shower/bathroom water. But brushing one's teeth in it seems OK and my Thai staff drink the water without apparent problem.

Anyway, since there are fish swimming in the well, I guess the water is not that bad

[KarenBravo]

Of course, the purity of well water is very much dependent upon the location of the well, seepage of pesticides etc from nearby fields.

The unlined well on my land in north Phuket is only used for guest shower/bathroom water. But brushing one's teeth in it seems OK and my Thai staff drink the water without apparent problem.

Anyway, since there are fish swimming in the well, I guess the water is not that bad

Yup, nothing like a touch of fish crap to add that certain je nais se quois to the flavour.

[grumpyoldman]

I've been using boiled well water for tea and coffee for the past 10 years with no ill effects at all.

I live in the same area as the OP.

Chainsaw, you sure my friend, last time I saw you your complexion was a tad off.........

[simon43]

Yup, nothing like a touch of fish crap to add that certain je nais se quois to the flavour.

It seems to work OK with the expensive civit crap coffee beans

Edited December 7, 2015 by simon43

[Chainsaw]

I've been using boiled well water for tea and coffee for the past 10 years with no ill effects at all.

I live in the same area as the OP.

Chainsaw, you sure my friend, last time I saw you your complexion was a tad off.........

Young Frank cast.jpg

You're still bitter GOM since I snaffled your bottle of beer Lao at the softball game. (I'll replace it someday - promise)

My complexion has improved since I stopped drinking wine from a certain outlet - just saying!

[Kimera]

The government water test is expensive, 6-7000 baht if I remember correctly but comprehensive.

[grumpyoldman]

I've been using boiled well water for tea and coffee for the past 10 years with no ill effects at all.

I live in the same area as the OP.

Chainsaw, you sure my friend, last time I saw you your complexion was a tad off.........

Young Frank cast.jpg

You're still bitter GOM since I snaffled your bottle of beer Lao at the softball game. (I'll replace it someday - promise)

My complexion has improved since I stopped drinking wine from a certain outlet - just saying!

Yes, but our fruit wine plonk is better !!!!!!! I probably prefer Steve's cadmium laced well water to that cr@p.

[bubblegum]

drink it daily, no problem at all.

[GiantFan]

RO membrane only allows small molecules to pass. Hydrogen and oxygen are some of the smallest, even if combined. Heavy metals, lead, tin, etc... won't get passed. Only a few thousand baht. Worth the investment.

Edited December 7, 2015 by GiantFan

[hansgruber]

I drink it all. Rain water collected from the drains and well water pumps into one tank. Drink it daily.

Then i was told dont drink the rain water due to rats deficating and urinating in the drains.

[Shot]

I too drink the well water. No problems yet other than the third arm growing out my back.

[stevehaigh]

You can't always trust bottled water! I've been drinking my hotel brand drinking water since I arrived in Bangkok two weeks ago and have been buying 5 L. bottles of mineral water for brushing my teeth and washing fruit and vegetables. Until today, I had been feeling progressively more weak and listless each day with blurry vision. This afternoon, I read an article in the NYT about the puzzling medical case of a young woman who was admitted to the Yale-New Haven Hospital barely able to move with very low electrolyte levels. The light bulb went off! I came back to the hotel and drank several glasses of the mineral water. I recovered in two hours and have felt sharp and well since. The pain in my shoulders went away and I feel MUCH better. I am guessing that the process that some companies use to make drinking water here (probably reverse osmosis) strips the minerals from the water and they are not added back in, perhaps to lower costs. As a result, the drinking water that we are left with is similar to distilled water. I can't believe my dramatic recovery. I'm very pleased but I recommend that TV posters be careful about the water that they choose to drink! Make sure that it contains the minerals that your body needs to run well.

i've been drinking RO water for 12 years or so and no ill effects so it obviously doesn't effect everyone the same as you.

all the local bottled water comes from their own well and is RO filtered. ther problem i have with the big reusable bottles is the cleaning is pretty sloppy. i've seen green slime in the bottom of them many times. but having said that, i still drink it since i moved out of my house with my own RO filter.

[KarenBravo]

Pay a bit more (35 Bt) and you get the clear bottles, not the white, opaque plastic ones, which I have also seen with algae growing in it.

[JetsetBkk]

Well water?

Geez, I remember when the Gazette used to have this in the back pages:

Strangely, no longer there.