ABC News Study: Bottled vs. Tap Water

[melody hounddog]

Yes.

 

Thanks! We board in 6 days and I will not be lugging water with me!

[chengkp75]

What tastes the best?

 

Water taste is one of the most highly individual things that you can discuss. Ask someone from away whether your water tastes fine, and you will get a whole range of answers.

[VegasCrossfire]

We never buy bottled water. What a waste of money. Thanks, I'll spend the money for a cruise!

I have to laugh at people who rant and rave about the price of a gallon of gas but will pay WAY more for a gallon of water (adding the price of each bottle) when they can get it for free or almost free if at home.

To each his own, but I just don't get this "fad" that has lasted for years now.

[spyro1952]

We never buy bottled water. What a waste of money. Thanks, I'll spend the money for a cruise!

I have to laugh at people who rant and rave about the price of a gallon of gas but will pay WAY more for a gallon of water (adding the price of each bottle) when they can get it for free or almost free if at home.

To each his own, but I just don't get this "fad" that has lasted for years now.

 

I totally agree. I bring a sports bottle with me and fill it from the tap in my room. The bottled water they gave me on the Emerald on my last cruise tasted nasty, poured it down the drain!!:cool:

[kruisey]

I personally like drinking some spring water each day to absorb the natural minerals that mother earth gave unprocessed water.

[4cats4me]

News that lots of us - particularly the budget minded - knew for years AND in addition those who only drink bottled water and give it to their children are having a lot of dental problems

 

I am now having lots of dental issues directly related to drinking almost exclusively bottled water for the past 15 years. Can't drink the tap water at my home, but now have tons of cavities. :eek:

Edited December 14, 2013 by 4cats4me

[Go-Bucks!]

For those who lug cases of bottled water on a ship, you might want to read this before going to all that trouble.

 

 

Apparently you don't live on a farm! :cool:

 

I live out in a rural area on a small farm. My water well is behind my home, about 6 feet from a field that is planted with corn or soybeans every year. Guess what they spray on that field several times each spring/summer?? Yep, pesticides and herbicides!! Those sink into the soil from the rain and end up in the underground water supply that fills my well. If I drink my tap water, I get a glass full of toxic poison. Yuck. I've been drinking bottled water for over 20 yrs and no cavities.

 

So yes, I and virtually all my neighbors drink bottled water. We don't care if it's city water because at least it would be treated/filtered. Anything's better than a big gulp of poison. ;)

Edited December 14, 2013 by Go-Bucks!

[kruisey]

I am now having lots of dental issues directly related to drinking almost exclusively bottled water for the past 15 years. Can't drink the tap water at my home, but now have tons of cavities. :eek:

I drink tea made from Brita filtered water.Otherwise for just water use bottled spring water.Still have all my own teeth,hardly ever have a cavity.

[dforeigner]

For those who lug cases of bottled water on a ship, you might want to read this before going to all that trouble. Makes for interesting reading. :)

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/study-bottled-water-safer-tap-water/story?id=87558

 

City tap water and ship tap water are not the same. The ship's water holding tanks are lined with a plastic type paint. Some studies revealed that the chemicals on this paint are released into the water that people end up drinking.

 

Having said that, we do drink the tap water on board the ships.

[PurpleHays]

I'll drink my water straight from the tap, but if I'm sitting around nursing a glass (and I do most of the time) I want bottled. When my tap water sits, it begins to taste bad/strange and I drink less. The ExH and I had a well and I *loved* that water. Seven + years later, I still miss it.

 

That said, I do not lug water on ships. I drink what is supplied.

[BruceMuzz]

Not sure about your ships, but most ships bunker water from shore not for cost savings as their first priority, but due to itinerary constraints, where port time exceeds sailing time (the only time they can make water, regardless of what type of watermaker is used). Itineraries with sea days tend to bunker water in port less than those without sea days.

 

A PP mentioned crew bringing bottled water onboard. This is usually a sign that the cruise line is not paying to keep recharging the Calcium Carbonate in the rehardening system, and yes, drinking distilled over long periods is not good for you, as the water will leach minerals from your teeth and bones just as Bruce says for the pipes onboard.

 

Another PP wondered about laundry. Most ships, from my experience, tend to use the water condensed from the A/C system for the ship's laundry. Those of you with central A/C at home know about the need for a small condensate pump to remove the condensed water from your unit. On a cruise ship, depending on the itinerary and time of year, this can amount to a couple of hundred tons of water a day.

 

Shore water sources, regardless of country, must meet WHO sanitation standards, and have records of this which must be retained onboard for inspection by USPH, and there are additional sanitizing processes for the shore connection, hoses, etc.

 

USPH requires that the ship's water tanks that are bunkered from shore, be tested for coliform bacteria prior to being used. This test takes 18-24 hours, so that tank must be quarantined until the test comes back negative. Water from 6 various places around the ship (sinks, showers, drinking fountains, etc) must also be tested monthly for bacteria.

 

Correction.

MOST SHIPS THAT DO THE 3 to 7 DAY "GRUNT" RUNS are concerned about port time vs sailing time in order to make enough water. The company I work for only does longer voyages with many sea days. We have no concerns about the sailing time needed to make water. We are only worried about the excessive fuel costs involved in producing water, and the proper mix of minerals in the water. We purchase almost all of our potable water from shore. It saves a great deal of fuel and money, and keeps the price of passage down, without any negative impact on our guests.

 

MOST NEWER SHIPS do use A/C technical water for laundry in order to save money on potable water. But the older ones rarely do that. The metal ions leeched out of the A/C system tend to make all the laundry look grey and dirty. Our older ships only use regular potable water for laundry. The technical water is used only for washing decks.

[jnc411]

If possible we do bring water on board for my DH, if we don't , he has problems with swelling in his lower legs and ankles, I know the water tastes fine , I drink it , but it seems to bother him , so we will still bring the water on board if we can.

Cori

[Mapu]

If possible we do bring water on board for my DH, if we don't , he has problems with swelling in his lower legs and ankles, I know the water tastes fine , I drink it , but it seems to bother him , so we will still bring the water on board if we can.

Cori

 

He is not alone and this is probably the reason many do the same.

[Sailingpeace]

Thank you Pam, interesting article. I am not worried about missing anything using tap water for a few weeks. You may have saved someone's cruise for not getting a strained back lugging a heavy case of tap water.

[kruisey]

Thank you Pam, interesting article. I am not worried about missing anything using tap water for a few weeks. You may have saved someone's cruise for not getting a strained back lugging a heavy case of tap water.

 

Why would you think people lug tap water ? If it says Spring Water it has the analysis of all the minerals on the bottle label and some folks like myself prefer to have the natural water.To each his own I say.:)