Water Quality From Machine on Street

[nwsbkk]

Hello,

I suspect that the machine that I have been getting drinking water from may not be changing the filters on a regular basis. Recently there has been a chlorine smell. Nonetheless I have been drinking it for over a week and I feel fine. Is there any way to check the water quality like a kit etc?

Thanks

[mtls2005]

Common topic...

water machines

water testing kits

I notice the chlorine smell (in tap water, along with the hydrogen sulfide smell) occasionally in Bangkok, my recollection of past threads here is that they (MWA) uses it as needed for health reasons. Again, my recollection of past discussions is that most filters do not remove all of these smells/chemicals.

[lopburi3]

A simple TDS meter would give you a good indication of quality - should be 15 or lower here in Bangkok where tap water runs about 160.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-LCD-Digital-TDS3-TDS-Meter-Filter-Pen-Temp-PPM-Tester-Stick-Water-Purity-HX-/221966934499?hash=item33ae42a1e3:g:VJ0AAOSw7FRWbE~b

[mania]

Over half of water vending machines in Bangkok unsafe to drink

I use to use them here in CM...Then I started getting sick

Easier to just pop for bottled water

[dcnx]

Also avoid the white cheap bottles of water. The plastic used for them is not safe for recycling, thus that odd taste sometimes. The plastic leaks into the water.

[anotheruser]

Get your water delivered from Sprinkle. Cheap and convenient.

[Ireland32]

I would drink out of a Klong before I would use one of those machines...


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[kannot]

dig a  well 80metres  deep then get a proper water test like I did............ok it aint so convenient but it was well tested cost 5k baht to do and is very clean

[kannot]

4 hours ago, Ireland32 said:

I would drink out of a Klong before I would use one of those machines...


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yes cut out the middle  man, good  plan

[roamer]

On 7/25/2016 at 10:14 AM, lopburi3 said:

A simple TDS meter would give you a good indication of quality - should be 15 or lower here in Bangkok where tap water runs about 160.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-LCD-Digital-TDS3-TDS-Meter-Filter-Pen-Temp-PPM-Tester-Stick-Water-Purity-HX-/221966934499?hash=item33ae42a1e3:g:VJ0AAOSw7FRWbE~b

h

 

Not sure I get it ? How does a TDS (total dissolved solids) give you an indication of purity in this situation ? For the most part you are reading Calcium or its compounds.  Example, London tap water 334ppm in my area as opposed to the 160 you state in Bangkok. It's hard water. Still safe to drink. I could put your meter into water that would give a reading of 15 ppm yet it was loaded with toxins the meter wouldn't register or the proportion of nitrates etc would be far higher than desirable. 

I've attached a water purity report, your meter would not detect a single one of the chemicals in it. Fill a glass with tap water, take a reading, then top it up with nail varnish remover, any change in the reading ? Nope. Likewise you could introduce any amount of bacteria into it and no change.

I don't drink Bangkok tap water as it tastes horrible. I don't drink water from machines because if not properly maintained they can introduce bacteria that would not be present in tap water.

If I don't have a beer handy I go for a decent brand of bottled water.

 

 

 

 

 

2015 WQ Report_Z0033_south hampstead.pdf

[pgrahmm]

Not sure of the process - but walked past on the other day that someone had left the old used filters next to.....

 

Given the amount of volume these things probably go through the filter sizes, and design seemed underwhelming.....

[JJGreen]

Not sure of the process - but walked past on the other day that someone had left the old used filters next to.....

 

Given the amount of volume these things probably go through the filter sizes, and design seemed underwhelming.....

were the filters clogged?

[lopburi3]

5 hours ago, roamer said:

 

Not sure I get it ? How does a TDS (total dissolved solids) give you an indication of purity in this situation ? For the most part you are reading Calcium or its compounds.  Example, London tap water 334ppm in my area as opposed to the 160 you state in Bangkok. It's hard water. Still safe to drink. I could put your meter into water that would give a reading of 15 ppm yet it was loaded with toxins the meter wouldn't register or the proportion of nitrates etc would be far higher than desirable. 

I've attached a water purity report, your meter would not detect a single one of the chemicals in it. Fill a glass with tap water, take a reading, then top it up with nail varnish remover, any change in the reading ? Nope. Likewise you could introduce any amount of bacteria into it and no change.

I don't drink Bangkok tap water as it tastes horrible. I don't drink water from machines because if not properly maintained they can introduce bacteria that would not be present in tap water.

If I don't have a beer handy I go for a decent brand of bottled water.

 

 

 

 

 

2015 WQ Report_Z0033_south hampstead.pdf

I was providing information to indicate proper RO operation of the street units being asked about - if the RO function is working the TDS should be under 20 from Bangkok water that is normally 160 or so.  And the system should be removing bacteria. 

[SattaheapSea]

poor qualities of water from vending machines.

i used to say this to other people.

they can do a business and make money but they must have social responsibility(low). 

everyday, I see Burmese workers getting fresh water from one of these.

Don't want to say too much cos' they also have kids and wives to look after.

[SattaheapSea]

due to technical problem

Edited August 6, 2016 by SattaheapSea

[SattaheapSea]

due to technical problem

Edited August 6, 2016 by SattaheapSea

[pgrahmm]

59 minutes ago, JJGreen said:

 

were the filters clogged?

 

Not at all - two looked more like hollow cylindrical fiber/plastic screens more than a flow through filter....The other seemed to be a cylindrical filter element.....Like an old fashioned cartidge car engine oil filter.....All maybe 15" long by 2 1/2 - 3" wide.....Possibly sleeved each other, but might have been considered a 3 step process....

[ukrules]

They need constant maintenance, if you know the person who operates it and know for sure that they maintain it properly there will be no problem.

 

Of course this is the problem - who knows anyone who operates machines like this and whether then maintain them properly ?

[blackcab]

On 06/08/2016 at 4:01 PM, ukrules said:

They need constant maintenance, if you know the person who operates it and know for sure that they maintain it properly there will be no problem.

 

Of course this is the problem - who knows anyone who operates machines like this and whether then maintain them properly ?

 

The company I work for owns typical Thai apartment buildings. We tend to rent out space for someone to install a water machine and clothes washing machines and let them run them as their own business.

 

I have personally seen the inside of one of these machines and it was nasty. After a lot of pushing by us (the landlord) they changed the filters. I saw pictures of the old filters and they were coveted in some kind of black slime.

 

As it happens the water machine kept breaking down so now there is a brand new machine in that particular building.  

[returnofthailand]

how can you control the filters?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The Ministry of Public Health has done tests on the water coming out of the street vending machines in the past. And a sizeable portion of them tested as NOT providing clean water.

 

Some might be properly maintained. But I suspect, and the tests show, a lot of them are not.

[blackcab]

6 hours ago, returnofthailand said:

how can you control the filters?

 

The end user can not control the filters. They are locked inside the machine. 

[khunbillmex]

Lot of discussion on the street machines and it gives me reason to consider changing to a delivery service but then again I have the same concerns about how hygienic their product is.  I look at the various water trucks driving around here [Khon Kaen] and they don't seem to be taking much care with the transported product [leaky water jars as not properly sealed and a majority of the jugs are that white plastic which gives an off taste to the water Who knows water their water purification plant' looks like.

[lopburi3]

Although this requires a bit of DIY assembly mine has been working well for the last year and cost is not very high - and you always have a source of pure water.

http://www.lazada.co.th/colandas-5-ro-50g-pp-5micron-4-5259116.html

 

[goltec]

14 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Although this requires a bit of DIY assembly mine has been working well for the last year and cost is not very high - and you always have a source of pure water.

http://www.lazada.co.th/colandas-5-ro-50g-pp-5micron-4-5259116.html

 

Don't forget to add UV !!!  and preferable before the UV, a mineral cartridge....

Keep in mind that the pretreatment in these units is extremely small, .

open the RESIN cartridge every month (at least) and wash the resin 30 minutes with saturated salt water.

This to keep calcium and magnesium away from your R.O. unit.... do well and you can use your R.O. membrane 3 or 4 years.

Don't do it,,,you might have to change every year. In case of chlorinated water...make sure you replace the carbon often! maybe even every 3 months.

Chlorine will destroy your R.O. membrane.

Check if your R.O. membrane is still doing it's job by checking the TDS level. (should be somewhere between 3 and 10 ppm.)

ALWAYS combine with UV and NEVER turn of the UV lamp. replace the UV lamp every year.....(every time you turn your UV lamp off and on, it loses 6 hours of it's life span. And while turned off, bacteria can "swimm" through the unit and not being affected  by the UV once turned on again.

Edited August 8, 2016 by goltec
forgot

[lopburi3]

IMHO UV is overkill - RO is extremely good at removing what I am concerned with.  UV is something else to go wrong.  

[goltec]

3 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

IMHO UV is overkill - RO is extremely good at removing what I am concerned with.  UV is something else to go wrong.  

You are wrong...but do how you want....

Your prefilters are a breeding ground for pathogenes..... your R.O. might fail due to lack of mentainance or due to other causes. R.O. does not remove 100% everything......in that case you will have pathogenes in your drinking water. (especially virusses make the best chance since they are super small)

Edited August 8, 2016 by goltec

[lopburi3]

CDC says otherwise but so be it - as for amount of treated water I can fill half a normal water cooler bottle from reserve tank so it is adequate for normal household use.

 

 

Quote

 

Reverse Osmosis Systems

• Reverse Osmosis Systems use a process that reverses the flow of water in a natural process of osmosis so that water passes from a more concentrated solution to a more dilute solution through a semi-permeable membrane. Pre- and post-filters are often incorporated along with the reverse osmosis membrane itself.
• A reverse osmosis filter has a pore size of approximately 0.0001 micron.
• Reverse Osmosis Systems have a very high effectiveness in removing protozoa (for example, Cryptosporidium, Giardia);
• Reverse Osmosis Systems have a very high effectiveness in removing bacteria (for example, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli);
• Reverse Osmosis Systems have a very high effectiveness in removing viruses (for example, Enteric, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Rotavirus);
• Reverse Osmosis Systems will remove common chemical contaminants (metal ions, aqueous salts), including sodium, chloride, copper, chromium, and lead; may reduce arsenic, fluoride, radium, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrate, and phosphorous.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/home-water-treatment/household_water_treatment.html

•  

[goltec]

31 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Although this requires a bit of DIY assembly mine has been working well for the last year and cost is not very high - and you always have a source of pure water.

http://www.lazada.co.th/colandas-5-ro-50g-pp-5micron-4-5259116.html

 

I see on the picture that you posted (if that is a picture of the actually system that is in your house now) they only use carbon and not resin. Have your hardness checked (i can do that for you for free if you send me a bottle of water). In case of hard water you really need resin in your pretreatment. Calcium and magnesium will cause scaling on your R.O. membrane and soon you need to replace it. While reducing the hardness of your water (and removing the chlorine) you can use your R.O. membrane maybe even 3 or 4 years instead of 1 year or 6 months..... your pretreatment should be: 1:  5 micron sediment  2: Carbon  3: resin

[goltec]

13 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

CDC says otherwise but so be it - as for amount of treated water I can fill half a normal water cooler bottle from reserve tank so it is adequate for normal household use.

 

 

http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/home-water-treatment/household_water_treatment.html

•  

read: "very high" and I know that ofcourse..... that is why I only work with R.O. if it comes to drinking water...... but in combination with UV ,,,according to international standards.  

 

The waterbotteling businesses also work with R.O. units..... but they are only allowed to sell bottled water if the water AFTER the R.O. unit , runs through an U.V. unit.....

Edited August 8, 2016 by goltec