Water Quality From Machine on Street

[lopburi3]

I am in Bangkok so the water is not very hard (about TDS 160 - actually 159 today) and TDS 10 after filter.  Also water is drinkable from tap but this makes it taste so much better and provides some extra protection for any supply issues.

[goltec]

9 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

•  

 

2 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

I am in Bangkok so the water is not very hard (about TDS 160 - actually 159 today) and TDS 10 after filter.  Also water is drinkable from tap but this makes it taste so much better and provides some extra protection for any supply issues.

tds 10 is ok..... but please don't drink from the tap...... although "they" claim you can do so...... it is not safe...

Your tds 160 doesn't mean there is no calcium or magnesium in your water. if your tds 160 is 100% calcium your water IS hard. Hardness you can not check with an TDS meter.

Take a glass of R.O. water put your tds meter in it....add a teaspoon of salt.... your tds goes skyhigh and on "tilt" .... still your water is not hard. (no calcium or magnesium )  An other way to see if there is calcium or magnesium in your water is check your faucets and bathroom floor for scaling.... the best place to check is by lifting off the lid of the waterresevoir of your toilet.

[lopburi3]

Have never had a calcium issue here in Bangkok (been here over 50 years).  Even when they used well water no issues but now it all comes from the river.  And I agree there are always exceptions (nothing is 100% safe) but know for a fact that testing of water from taps in central Bangkok was consistently safer than bottled water some 40 years ago and water supply system has been much improved.  Bangkok is one of the few cities in the world with real time on-line reporting of water quality.

http://twqonline.mwa.co.th/EN/map.php?type=

[bark]

I import large ice bergs from The North Pole. I bring them into Thailand on 40 foot frozen containers and park them in my back yard. As the ice melt the water is drained into 5 gallon containers. The thawing of the ice also makes for great free aircon. as I use large fans to blow the cool air into the house. I also use a chain saw to cut out squares of ice the I carve into ice displays for Thai weddings, on the weekend. 

For more info you can go to WWW.DOYOUBELIEVEINSANTACLAUSECOM

 

 

[Isan Farang]

32 minutes ago, goltec said:

 

tds 10 is ok..... but please don't drink from the tap...... although "they" claim you can do so...... it is not safe...

Your tds 160 doesn't mean there is no calcium or magnesium in your water. if your tds 160 is 100% calcium your water IS hard. Hardness you can not check with an TDS meter.

Take a glass of R.O. water put your tds meter in it....add a teaspoon of salt.... your tds goes skyhigh and on "tilt" .... still your water is not hard. (no calcium or magnesium )  An other way to see if there is calcium or magnesium in your water is check your faucets and bathroom floor for scaling.... the best place to check is by lifting off the lid of the waterresevoir of your toilet.

 

This is a reading from the tap in Ubon, and then a reading using a 5 stage RO filter. I guess its unknown how accurate the reading is if you do not have a calibrated device.

[Fairynuff]

Very entertaining read. From my very first day here I've had ice in my drinks, bathed, cleaned my teeth and occasionally drunk tap water and never had an issue. I use the machines in our building to get drinking water. Never had an issue. My health is fine. I sometimes get very scared of my own shadow though

[little mary sunshine]

I watch the filters being changed on the

water machine near my apartment.  I have

 used water from this machine for the past

5 years, taste good never been sick, they

do change the filters every 2-3 months!!!

[uptoyoumyfriend]

the machines do work here in chiang mai at least, about 15 ppm at the machine .they work with reverse osmosis which removes everything except h2o.not ideal as the water has no minerals but safe as there are also no other pollutants left.the filter will clog up if not changed and must not be judged by looking at the working side.if there is slime that is because it was filtered out.the lack of minerals is usually not dangerous as we have too much of it in our  food ,like salt for example. my well water has about 180 ppm in comparison,but not everybody has clean well water.clean is not without minerals ,clean is without pathogens.i have never seen a machine using clorine...

[canarysun]

Dearest Viewers!

I trust you are all well...?

I am currently in the UK ( a difficult gig after living 25 years abroad ) I became very ill towards the end of my adventures in Thailand.I spent all my time outside every day in the sunshine ( glorious ) but drank litres of water from the water machines every day ( 5 baht a day ) I lost half my body weight and became sick and itching with high temperatures.When i returned back to the UK i told the Doctor ( a bloody nice bloke ) that i thought i had " The Dengue " but after loads of blood tests he said my Liver was in a bad way from drinking " contaminated water " from the Water Machines.It took me a year to get my health back on track! So please be aware viewers! 

I have just returned from Sri Lanka doing a project on " Train Journeys " but i shall return to Thailand in the future......

God bless you all Viewers! 

M x

[Familyonthemove]

On ‎8‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 11:00 AM, pgrahmm said:

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....

 

The cylindrical fibre/plastic one sounds like the pre-filter.  Used to filter out sand, dust, particulates to avoid clogging the main filter.  The cartridge one will be the main filter, but it's what's inside that counts.  Some types of filters clog up and stop the water flow if they are not changed often enough - so no need for replacement date  (although I guess you could stick a hole through the filter to keep the flow going) whereas others rely on adsorption within the filter media, and these don't clog up (assuming you have an effective pre-filter) and they still allow water to flow even after they've stopped working.  Both types are common in water filtration equipment. 

 

Not sure I'd be confident that the roadside water filter vendor always sticks to the duty cycle?

 

But Bangkok water is unlikely to make you ill in the short term, as it is treated to kill bacteria (hence the chlorine smell), although chemicals in the water and from the pipes may be an issue in the longer term?

 

But each time we buy a lemon tea, soda etc from a restaurant or coffee shop we're also relying on the effectiveness of their filters - although I've seen the reverse osmosis filters and the filter change program for some of the major branded restaurant in Bangkok, and I'm still happy to drink in their restaurants.  I've also seen some of the small ice making plants in Bangkok, and they vary a lot - some good, some bad ...... but I don't think I've been ill from iced drinks.

[Thian]

16 hours ago, blackcab said:

 

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

 

Than why do they sell refill for filters everywhere?

 

I haven't seen them but i bet there will be filters you can refill yourself.  It isn't rocketscience, just a plastic bottle with some grid in it and the water flows through it.

 

That refill stuff (like activated carbon) is pretty cheap so why is a plastic bottle filled with it so expensive? You can easy make one yourself from a plantsprayer (3-5 litre model) filled with it and let the water run trough the hoses...be aware you buy foodquality safe sprayer though.

 

 

 

 

[bazza40]

On 8/6/2016 at 2:58 AM, kannot said:

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

How do you know the water quality does not change over time? You would need to test at least once a month to ensure it has not been contaminated.

 

Far easier and cheaper to simply boil water out of the tap or street machine. Chlorine and chloramines are steam distilled off, and bacteria/viruses are zapped.

[bazza40]

6 hours ago, Isan Farang said:

 

This is a reading from the tap in Ubon, and then a reading using a 5 stage RO filter. I guess its unknown how accurate the reading is if you do not have a calibrated device.

The instrument is not a water hardness monitor. It states clearly on the front it is measuring conductivity in micro Siemens, which is the standard unit for for conductivity. Hardness is measured as a calcium equivalent in various units, usually ppm or mg/L. Unless the instrument also incorporates a calcium ion-specific electrode ( unlikely) the claim it is  a Water  Hardness Monitor is BS.

 

[Isan Farang]

1 hour ago, bazza40 said:

The instrument is not a water hardness monitor. It states clearly on the front it is measuring conductivity in micro Siemens, which is the standard unit for for conductivity. Hardness is measured as a calcium equivalent in various units, usually ppm or mg/L. Unless the instrument also incorporates a calcium ion-specific electrode ( unlikely) the claim it is  a Water  Hardness Monitor is BS.

 

 When I purchased the meter I was given a formula to convert to PPM, what's your thoughts on the info given ?

 

CONVERSION TO OTHER SCALES OF HARDNESS
33 microSiemens = 17.9ppm
33microSiemens = 1dH (German ° hardness)
1dH = 17.9ppm

***Therefore the mathematical formula for a conversion to ppm is: Take the reading on the display and divide it by 33, then take the result and multiply it by 17.9

 

 

1 hour ago, bazza40 said:

 

 

[GOLDBUGGY]

On ‎8‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 4:40 AM, 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 tend to totally agree with you also.

 

TDS is not an indication of water purity. It is in fact an indication of water hardness. With rain water and river water being naturally more soft than well water. As you said TDS measures mostly the Calcium and Magnesium found in the water, but Dissolved Solids can also include salt. 

 

TDS is important to have and know when you have a Water Softener as this lets you know if your softener is working properly and also when you need to do a regeneration or recharge your water softener. With of course the lower reading being the best.     

[GOLDBUGGY]

13 hours 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.  

The Ultra Violet Light is what kills bacteria.

 

So yes! It is very important.

[GOLDBUGGY]

5 hours ago, bazza40 said:

The instrument is not a water hardness monitor. It states clearly on the front it is measuring conductivity in micro Siemens, which is the standard unit for for conductivity. Hardness is measured as a calcium equivalent in various units, usually ppm or mg/L. Unless the instrument also incorporates a calcium ion-specific electrode ( unlikely) the claim it is  a Water  Hardness Monitor is BS.

 

Well actually it isn't BS!

 

Water Harness is a measure of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the water which include Calcium and Magnesium. Dissolved Solids saturated in water will conduct electricity better than soft water will with less Dissolved Solids. So to test for Hardness a small current is passed through this water and the Resistance is measured. The easier this current passes through water (the conductivity) the harder the water is.

 

Micro Siemens is just a SI Unit measured in fractions used to measure Conductivity. It is the small current sent to the water. It's Resistance can be measure in Ohms, where 1 Siemen equals 1 Ohm. Since the amount of TDS determines this Resistance than Micro Siemens can be converted to TDS, which most expensive meters do. Many times a Conductivity Meters is called a TDS Meter, with the only difference being that Micro Siemens has been converted to TDS by the Meter for you. 

[Isan Farang]

9 minutes ago, GOLDBUGGY said:

Well actually it isn't BS!

 

Water Harness is a measure of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in the water which include Calcium and Magnesium. Dissolved Solids saturated in water will conduct electricity better than soft water will with less Dissolved Solids. So to test for Hardness a small current is passed through this water and the Resistance is measured. The easier this current passes through water (the conductivity) the harder the water is.

 

Micro Siemens is just a SI Unit measured in fractions used to measure Conductivity. It is the small current sent to the water. It's Resistance can be measure in Ohms, where 1 Siemen equals 1 Ohm. Since the amount of TDS determines this Resistance than Micro Siemens can be converted to TDS, which most expensive meters do. Many times a Conductivity Meters is called a TDS Meter, with the only difference being that Micro Siemens has been converted to TDS by the Meter for you. 

 

Not wishing to start a war on who the water doctor is here, I know a person involved with American Marine and he told me the following regarding the BS reply. For myself I do not have the technical knowledge to fully comment.

 

The vast majority of the ions measured by the conductivity monitor are calcium. magnesium, etc which is hardness. The meter is a great instrument to measure hardness in fresh water...

Might want to ask the author his opinion of TDS meters....

[goltec]

21 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

Very entertaining read. From my very first day here I've had ice in my drinks, bathed, cleaned my teeth and occasionally drunk tap water and never had an issue. I use the machines in our building to get drinking water. Never had an issue. My health is fine. I sometimes get very scared of my own shadow though

It is all about reducing potentials..... I rather play russian roulette with just 1 bullet in the chamber instead of 2 bullets. (besides that, it is my job and people rely on my knowledge and advice)

E.G. :

I cross the road in front of my house every day with my eyes closed....never got hit by a car......so it must be safe.....

I smoke cigarettes allready 25 years......i never got sick......so it must be safe.....

 

read CANARYSUN's post above ..........

[lopburi3]

11 hours ago, GOLDBUGGY said:

The Ultra Violet Light is what kills bacteria.

 

So yes! It is very important.

But RO removes the bacteria - you do not need to kill what isn't there.  There is not much getting through a pore size of approximately 0.0001 micron.  I have lived through East Pakistan where you had to both filter and boil for awful tasting water.  RO is my choice in today's world.  

[blackcab]

On 08/08/2016 at 4:11 PM, Thian said:

 

Than why do they sell refill for filters everywhere?

 

I haven't seen them but i bet there will be filters you can refill yourself.  It isn't rocketscience, just a plastic bottle with some grid in it and the water flows through it.

 

That refill stuff (like activated carbon) is pretty cheap so why is a plastic bottle filled with it so expensive? You can easy make one yourself from a plantsprayer (3-5 litre model) filled with it and let the water run trough the hoses...be aware you buy foodquality safe sprayer though.

 

 

 

 

 

The OP is about the 1 baht water machines you see on the street. You can not get access to these filters. They are locked inside the machine.

 

You can buy your own filter for home use though. 

Edited August 10, 2016 by blackcab

[returnofthailand]

 

The OP is about the 1 baht water machines you see on the street. You can not get access to these filters. They are locked inside the machine.

 

You can buy your own filter for home use though. 

depends where, on some machine you can see the filters right behind. these machines cost little bit more than 1 baht per liter. or you get 1. 25 liter instead of 1 liter for a baht

I have seen machine with smelling water. and water machines with no smell. can we analyze water just by smelling . maybe it s a good start, no?

look through the water with a light too.

[Aussie69]

Dearest Viewers!

I trust you are all well...?

I am currently in the UK ( a difficult gig after living 25 years abroad ) I became very ill towards the end of my adventures in Thailand.I spent all my time outside every day in the sunshine ( glorious ) but drank litres of water from the water machines every day ( 5 baht a day ) I lost half my body weight and became sick and itching with high temperatures.When i returned back to the UK i told the Doctor ( a bloody nice bloke ) that i thought i had " The Dengue " but after loads of blood tests he said my Liver was in a bad way from drinking " contaminated water " from the Water Machines.It took me a year to get my health back on track! So please be aware viewers! 

I have just returned from Sri Lanka doing a project on " Train Journeys " but i shall return to Thailand in the future......

God bless you all Viewers! 

If only you'd consumed some Sang Som now and again to kill off any contaminants in your liver.

[ORB]

Almost all the water vending machine in Thailand are Reverse Osmosis system. It is save to drink if they replace their filter occasionally.

 

And do not drink tap water. It is unclean.

[whatsupdoc]

For anyone drinking RO water: you should do some more research.

for example: http://elua.com/2013/11/is-demineralized-water-safe-drinking-water/

 

Drinking RO water is not to be recommended. True, it is a cheap way to purify water but the lack of minerals in RO water is actually bad for your health. No country in the West that I know of uses RO for drinking water.... Why would that be?

[ORB]

We take minerals from food not from water. We only need to drink clean and neutral water.

Deminerals water like distilled water and RO water is unlikely the same. Distilled water is harm to consume because of acidic while RO is neutral.

 

Based on my knowledge, Singaporian use RO to make tap water. They use RO in their huge plant to desalinated water from sea water.

[Anthony5]

5 minutes ago, ORB said:

We take minerals from food not from water. We only need to drink clean and neutral water.

Deminerals water like distilled water and RO water is unlikely the same. Distilled water is harm to consume because of acidic while RO is neutral.

 

Based on my knowledge, Singaporian use RO to make tap water. They use RO in their huge plant to desalinated water from sea water.

 

Some times it's better to keep silent than speak out and remove all doubts.

 

Distilled and ionized water have a neutral pH, and yes we take minerals from water, far easier absorbed than from food.

[Gary A]

I hate to tell the home RO users that they may have been scammed. The genuine RO filters are self cleaning by the water rushing past the surface of the filter. The average RO system purifies only one liter out of four that goes through the system. Three liters goes down the drain. If you think all the water you put in gets purified and none goes down the drain, you have been scammed.