think before buying next water on the streets

[jeab1980]

42 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

Ok lets look at your points most don't drink tap water, good. Water in shower and wash basins --most have electric wall units that heat the water killing most bacteria and the water on skin is being washed with soap therefore killing more and washing away toxins on body. If it was so easy to have bacteria kill us we would all be dead due to bacteria in air. Food cooked in tap water will have all bacteria killed if brought to a boil and we are not talking about klong water but tap which few places anywhere in the world would have enough chemicals/minerals or toxins like lead ect in tap water to affect anyone taking a shower with it. The little we get in our mouths and spit  out when brusing is insignificant plus the toothpast or mouth wash would kill those germs. Drinking unfiltered tap water would be the way most would be subject to bacterial and chemical polutants and a good amount because we would not be rinsing but drinking it.

I for one dont have an electric shower waters warm enough. Brushing your teeth yes toothpaste might kill some bacteria then swilling mouth out with tap water negates that. Washing with shower gel again kills bacteria then you wash off the soap and if like me spend a minute or so under the water so any cuts ect get the tap water in.

However my point was tap water isnt as bad here as people make it out to be.

[opalred]

thank you to my learned member

now i know i was right to drink beer every day for past 59years

i have always said beer will kill all worms and bad bacteria in gut

[madusa]

Amoebic dysentery, this is a very severe kind of stomachache and purging, you pass hot burning liquid stool that burns your anus. You become so sick, dehydrated and lying in bed most of time because you are too weak to move. Some people died from this dysentery.

The above scenario was what happened to my elder brother when he used the water from a small river with still water (not running water ) to brush his teeth. This happened in Borneo (Malaysia). It could happen anywhere else, Africa, India, Thailand......

So gentlemen if you want to take risk good luck. But if you visit the patient and see for yourself how bad it is you will always be careful with drinking water.

[lopburi3]

We are talking about tap water in Bangkok being safe to drink (and it is) - not a non-flowing river in Malaysia.  Tap water in Bangkok is tested in real time at many locations in the city and results are available on-line - how many first world countries can say that?

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

 

[tazly]

1 hour ago, madusa said:

 you pass hot burning liquid stool that burns your anus. .....

No need to go all the way to Malaysia for that!

[Phuket Man]

12 hours ago, lopburi3 said:

We are talking about tap water in Bangkok being safe to drink (and it is) - not a non-flowing river in Malaysia.  Tap water in Bangkok is tested in real time at many locations in the city and results are available on-line - how many first world countries can say that?

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

 

We don't all live in Bangkok Lop! 

[lopburi3]

Just now, Phuket Man said:

We don't all live in Bangkok Lop! 

Understand that and would not recommend drinking directly in most locations - and we may prefer to filter in Bangkok for better taste also - but need to keep things in perspective (and this is a problem for Thai as well as foreigners) - with current infrastructure and monitoring Bangkok tap water is quite safe so any additional filtering may be counterproductive (such as stations with filters that are never cleaned or replaced).  We can cause problems for water that was not a problem.

[madusa]

On 2017/5/14 at 7:06 AM, lopburi3 said:

We are talking about tap water in Bangkok being safe to drink (and it is) - not a non-flowing river in Malaysia.  Tap water in Bangkok is tested in real time at many locations in the city and results are available on-line - how many first world countries can say that?

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

 

Oh yes, but i was just trying to give a picture of the dysentery. Not about malaysia , of course Bangkok cannot be any better than Malaysia in terms of cleanliness and water supply facility. Anyway if you trust the water supply god luck to you.

[The Deerhunter]

On 5/13/2017 at 8:42 PM, jeab1980 said:

So your statement is floored. 

flawed?

[jeab1980]

28 minutes ago, The Deerhunter said:

flawed?

No floored as in knocked out.

[The Deerhunter]

1 minute ago, jeab1980 said:

No floored as in knocked out.

OK. You win.  I too am floored in that case.  555

[kannot]

On 5/14/2017 at 4:19 PM, jeab1980 said:

Just a thought tap water and a lot of people's aversion to it here in thailand. I wonder how many filter the water for drinking a good % I would say. Which is good. How many filter the water coming into house for showers and wash basins not so many in fact a small % of us i dare to bet i dont.. I brush my teeth twice daily using tap water how many others do?. I shower as many times as needed during the day using tap water how many others do?. I bite my nails (terrible habit) after washing or showering. I cook my veg and spuds in tap water. I havent been ill through these practises. I belive like the fear of snakes (even though a vast majority have never come into contact with them) its all in the mind. Put there by wives tales and folk law. And of course bottled water companies.

My tap water is  black many days, feel free to help yourself, also has a good smell of rotten eggs..............science would prove you wrong no doubt, why not get it tested in Bangkok the price is around 5000 baht and looks  like this but "hearsay" is more convincing  for many.

I disconnected the tap water years ago...........folklore, yes  you've used that one before and "believing without evidence" is folklore.............my water test "evidence" below.................believe nothing, test everything.

So your "belief" is it contains no cadmium or other nasties? or  is  that just your hearsay as you havent been sick?

I drink this, also have the bacterial test somewhere

Edited May 16, 2017 by kannot

[kannot]

On 5/14/2017 at 9:06 PM, lopburi3 said:

We are talking about tap water in Bangkok being safe to drink (and it is) - not a non-flowing river in Malaysia.  Tap water in Bangkok is tested in real time at many locations in the city and results are available on-line - how many first world countries can say that?

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

 

They cant test the pipework right into your house/condo though, it can only be tested at that exact location on their report, anytime after that can be a problem.

I installed my own water system and when I say "I" I mean I did all the work alone I dont mean I got Somchai to do it whilst i watched him . The pipework is a single length 100metres ( no joints) of hdpe buried a metre  deep from well to house

Edited May 16, 2017 by kannot

[Tony125]

On 5/15/2017 at 9:21 AM, lopburi3 said:

Understand that and would not recommend drinking directly in most locations - and we may prefer to filter in Bangkok for better taste also - but need to keep things in perspective (and this is a problem for Thai as well as foreigners) - with current infrastructure and monitoring Bangkok tap water is quite safe so any additional filtering may be counterproductive (such as stations with filters that are never cleaned or replaced).  We can cause problems for water that was not a problem.

So I guess you think Bangkok water is better than water in USA/ Take a look at url:

Even a lot of US water is contaminated

 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/drinking-water-for-15-million-americans-is-contaminated-with-a-toxic-chemical-report-finds/ar-BBCnC4V?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U143DHP

[bbi1]

If you "stopped at shop for a drink" then what I would do it buy a bottle of water from that shop. A no-brainer in my opinion and then also no need for this thread  

[bbi1]

On 2017-5-17 at 7:46 AM, kannot said:

My tap water is  black many days, feel free to help yourself, also has a good smell of rotten eggs.

You are saying you like the smell of rotton eggs?  I guess the saying it true, different strokes for different folks...

[surangw]

On 5/12/2017 at 11:04 PM, partington said:

Well of course...but this is Thailand, you only have to unscrew the bulb in the red indicator light and you have saved yourself 10 years of filter purchase.

 same way some shops deal with the check engine light on cars.

[impulse]

13 hours ago, bbi1 said:

If you "stopped at shop for a drink" then what I would do it buy a bottle of water from that shop. A no-brainer in my opinion and then also no need for this thread 

 

For about $20, I can get set up to re-cap the throw away water bottles, complete with the heat shrink plastic seal.  

 

While commercially bottled water is a good idea, it's still not a no-brainer.  There's always the temptation to improve profitability when nobody's looking.

 

This thread may take a different path, but it's still needed.

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by impulse

[t8769]

I never use filtered water for the kettle, as 1min boiling makes it safe.

[impulse]

7 minutes ago, t8769 said:

I never use filtered water for the kettle, as 1min boiling makes it safe.

 

I'm with you about 95% on this one.  But boiling the water for a minute doesn't get rid of lead or arsenic or other dissolved solids- including NORMs (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) .  

 

Lead (as in Flint, Michigan) could come from rotten pipes even if the water leaving the treatment facility is perfect.  I've watched them dig up some pipes in Bangkok.  It's a judgment call.  Outside of BKK, it's even dodgier.

 

Arsenic and NORMs are natural components of water from many underground and surface sources.  Anyone using well water from a private or shared well should have it tested before they use it for bathing, much less cooking.

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by impulse

[Tony125]

36 minutes ago, t8769 said:

I never use filtered water for the kettle, as 1min boiling makes it safe.

Boiling makes it safe from bacteria/virus but won't protect from sediment, minerals and chemical toxins in the water. Check this out on US water supplies:

 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/drinking-water-for-15-million-americans-is-contaminated-with-a-toxic-chemical-report-finds/ar-BBCnC4V?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U143DHP

[lopburi3]

11 minutes ago, Tony125 said:

Boiling makes it safe from bacteria/virus but won't protect from sediment, minerals and chemical toxins in the water. Check this out on US water supplies:

 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/drinking-water-for-15-million-americans-is-contaminated-with-a-toxic-chemical-report-finds/ar-BBCnC4V?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=U143DHP

You might want to read this for an overview of the source of above report before going into a panic however.

https://www.activistfacts.com/organizations/113-environmental-working-group/

[t8769]

Very interesting.

 

However, I wonder if these elements are more harmful than the chemicals leaked into the water form plastic bottles. 

 

 

Edited June 11, 2017 by t8769

[observer90210]

On 13/5/2017 at 7:56 AM, keeniau96 said:

At my house have our water well, drilled down 57 m, large tank 10k liters, filter from tank output to house. Then kitchen has another filter. I trust this water. Outside I trust the bottled from throw-away bottles, not hard, refillable ones. Just because I am paranoid does not mean there are not bacteria out to get me.

 

Good idea for the filter as I was planing to put filter the water for the kitchen and the bathroom. Kindly allow me to ask what brand of filter you have and where did you purchase and did you get one of the local superhero's to fix it or did you fix it yourself??

[opalred]

you would be amazed how many houses have wells and bore holes

then there septic system close by 

when the dry was on and govt drilled holes for water in and around bkk

watch you don't get a turd in next glass of water 

so for health stick to leo

[KittenKong]

On 14/05/2017 at 9:06 PM, lopburi3 said:

We are talking about tap water in Bangkok being safe to drink (and it is)

 

Tap water in Bangkok (and indeed in Pattaya) may indeed be safe to drink with one caveat: that the tap is connected directly to the water main.

 

In my condo all our mains water goes into a huge storage tank on the roof where it sits for days or weeks in the full sun. Every now and again they clean this tank and you would not believe the amount of evil crud that comes out of it when they do.

 

So I have big bottles delivered for all drinking or cooking. Not the 20B opaque ones but the 40B transparent blue ones, though I'm not entirely sure what the difference is.

[Chou Anou]

On 5/13/2017 at 0:43 PM, scoutman360 said:

I have a foreigner friend who drinks out of the tap in Bangkok every day. Never been sick. Up to you.

When I lived in a village in Ayuthaya for six months, we regularly drank water out of the tap when there wasn't enough rain water in the urn...never had a problem once.  You could conceivably get potable water out of the tap in Bangkok too, but it all depends on how close you are to the source.  The farther your water has to travel through pipes, the higher the possibility of damaged pipes and contamination.  Not worth the risk...I always drink bottled water in Bangkok.

[balo]

I can't understand why people just can't buy bottled water instead of taking the risks with the machines.  Sure, you'll save 40 baht per week , what's the point? 

 

 

[dfdgfdfdgs]

It's more than 40 baht though isn't it.  You can get 12 600ml bottles for about 50 baht.  I could drink 3-4 of those packs in a week.  I can buy 1.5 litres of water from a machine for 1 baht.  So it's more like 150 baht a week difference, per person.  If there are 2 or more of you in the same household multiply it up.

 

I come from the UK where water is free, I understand the US and other places can't/don't drink water from the tap, so maybe it's less of a jump for them if they were buying bottled water before anyway.  But for me it was a shock to come to Thailand and have to buy water, at any cost.

[jeab1980]

9 hours ago, KittenKong said:

 

Tap water in Bangkok (and indeed in Pattaya) may indeed be safe to drink with one caveat: that the tap is connected directly to the water main.

 

In my condo all our mains water goes into a huge storage tank on the roof where it sits for days or weeks in the full sun. Every now and again they clean this tank and you would not believe the amount of evil crud that comes out of it when they do.

 

So I have big bottles delivered for all drinking or cooking. Not the 20B opaque ones but the 40B transparent blue ones, though I'm not entirely sure what the difference is.

Diffrence is it makes the tap water they fill it with look cleaner and get 20bht more?