Last updated on November 14th, 2022 at 08:25 am
Drinking water is an activity we do multiple times a day. Drinking enough water according to our bodies’ requirements helps us stay healthy. If you also like to stay hydrated and healthy, you might have wondered can drinking water go bad? How long will it last? If so, read on to know the answers from the experts.
The Microorganisms
The Director of the Johns Hopkins University Water Institute, Dr. Kellogg Schwab, says that your mouth and lips introduce microorganisms into the water as soon as you take a sip of water. If there is sunlight streaming through the windows of your home or office and there is an ambient temperature in your home, the microorganisms might multiply swiftly.
How Long Water Stays Safe?
According to Dr. Schwab, if you keep clean water in a clean glass, it will stay safe for a day or two. As almost all tap water in the US contains chlorine additives, they will kill a small community of microorganisms. If you taste the water that is a day old and think it tastes unusual, it’s probably because water goes flat after about 12 hours as carbon dioxide from the air interacts with the H2O in your glass. It leads to a reduction in the pH of water. Even then, the water is most likely safe to drink, says Dr. Schwab.
The Rise of Bacteria
If someone uses the dirty glass day after day, it will raise the risk of exposure to unfriendly bacteria, especially when more than one person is using the glass and merging their mouth microorganisms with the microorganisms already present in the water. The safest thing to do is get a cup every few days and avoid sharing it with others. If you do share, wash it sooner than later.
Clean Hands Matter
Another thing to remember is that your hands should be clean when you touch the rim of the glass. If you touch it with dirty hands (especially hands not washed properly after using the bathroom, it can lead to health issues as there are countless sickness-causing bacteria in human waste. So, when you handle the glass with dirty hands, the bacteria might make their way into the water and then your stomach to make you very sick.
How Long Does Stored Water Last?
If you, like many people, have the habit of storing a plastic water bottle in your car or vehicle, you should know that is not a smart idea. Heat and plastic are a bad combination. Dr. Schwab says that a chemical called bisphenol-A, or BPA, in addition to other things used to manufacture plastic, can leach into your water if the bottle heats up or sits in the sun. BPA is a hormone disruptor that has tentatively been linked to several health hazards like heart disease and cancer.
The plastic used for bottling water isn’t meant to be washed or refilled. So, you should use them once and recycle them. You can also switch to refillable containers made of metal or glass as they are good for the environment while plastic is not.
The Shelf Life of Tap Water
According to Zane Satterfield, an engineer scientist with the National Environmental Services Center at West Virginia University, tap water has a shelf life of six months. After that, the chlorine dissipates to the point that bacteria and algae start to grow in the water. The growth will speed up if you store the water in a warm or sunny spot or in a glass container that hasn’t been thoroughly washed or sealed.
When to Swap Stored Water?
If you have kept some water for an emergency in your basement, you should replace it every 12 months. In that period, some water will evaporate, proving that plastic can be penetrated.
How to Drink Water Stored for Long Periods?
Before drinking water stored for prolonged periods, you can add some plain, unscented bleach drops and wait 30 minutes. Doing so will make your water safe to drink. Four drops per gallon should be sufficient.
Always Drink 100% Contamination Free Water- Trust AMPAC USA
Drinking 100% contamination-free water is also the secret to staying healthy and avoiding being sick. You can trust the water treatment solutions offered by AMPAC USA.
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