I was gone on a vacation and decided to stay in a motel with fair reviews as this motel was the only last minute option i had. This motel was in regional NSW and the provided facilities were fine as compared to the price paid but didn't include any drinking bottled water in the room.
So, it's 5.30am in the morning, i woke up to get some water and found out that the bottle that i had didn't have sufficient water to quench my thirst. Unfortunately, there was no thing such as dial up room service. Also, I did run up to the reception but it was all shut. My only option here was to fill up my water bottle from the bathroom tap. Having no option, i had to fill up the water from the bathroom tap and drink it.
So my concern further lies, is it safe enough to drink water from the bathroom tap?
Update: haha, those were some lovely responses. Did drink the water from the bathroom wash basin and I'm safe and alive. Even did the mount kosciuazko hike after drinking the water. So now, i know.
Drinking Water from The Tap. What Would You Do?
Last edited 01/03/2021 - 14:51
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If you are that worried, boil the water and let it cool.
Well, too late for that.
But, i took the risk.
Next post from OP: I suspect someone has boiled their underwear in the kettle; what do I do?
What if? The taste from the kettle doesn't seem right.
You should have known this was an issue for you and brought your own bottled water.
Microwave it
Have you seen the quality of some kettles in motel rooms ;)
Not sure you'd be reducing any perceived risk :)That helps only if it is contaminated with microorganisms. If it contains chemical contaminants it will not help.
But people boil their undies in the Motel Kettles..
I'm boiling up a cuppa of crotch tea right now
Just boil the water in future if you're really concerned. The motel should at least have a kettle.
Best you learn some wilderness survival tactics just in case the next place doesn't have bottled water for you, and no one is there to help you through such a difficult time.
better bring ur own kettle
have u seen the horror stories about the kettle online lolop have u seen the horror stories about the beds, carpet, toilet, cleaners.
omg u should really have stayed in a tent or in the car
maybe in a bubble at home that might be better
boiling not going to help in all cases
https://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/story/6628471/toxic-t….
OP should've just not had any water to be on the safe side…..
Hope the will is made (and up to date)………………
Seriously tho I'd say - no sign, should be fine.
Thanks to all posters for a good morning giggle.
head to a pub and get some beeeeer
Carlton draught tooJust run the water for a couple of seconds, just so you don't get the water from the hot water tank
Aussie water is one of the safest in the world, as stated above
Don't waste money on plastic bottled water, as stated above
I try to carry a bottle, if not, I let the water run in my hands and drink out of it; no biggieRofl.
Every kid in Australia drinks from the garden hose.
That warm plasticky taste was the best when it was so hot and you were so thirsty
I used to drink from the creeks on my grandparents cattle property on a daily basis. Best water I've ever tasted and never got sick.
1 rule though, if it wasnt running water I didnt touch it.
Is this serious?
Good name, reminds me of a nice boat down at the marina," Farr Canal".
Do a Bear Grylls, drink your own urine.
It's the only way…
I'm ashamed I read to page 2 on this thread.
I was expecting this to be HelloPam post. Disappointed.
A wise man once said, 'If you don't drink filtered water then guess what your body IS the filter'
if there is no strange smell or taste or discolour it won't kill you
if you're going to do it often, get yourself a reusable filter bottle
Honestly, I don't get the point of this thread. What answers could you possibly be looking for? Tap water is extremely safe in Australia.
If it makes you feel better, get a bottle from the supermarket. If the supermarket is closed, try the petrol station. Is it really that hard?
Not everywhere, you definitely can’t drink tap water in some places of Tasmania. I’m assuming some other regional areas within the mainland will be the same.
This thread…
R u dead?
You only have to worry if you're in Adelaide, their tap water has a weird taste…
Tap water has stricter standards than bottled water.
Bottled water is a tax on the stupid.I've been drinking Adelaide tap water for over 70 years, so I may be used to any "weird" taste. It's still quite safe though.
Sorry, this was supposed to be a reply to smartazz104.
its not just about the water quality, building quality/pipe quality matters
Good thing they have mandatory standards too
do you get out and about much?
sounds like you live in a bubble…@Lupin the 3rd: Sydney Water has great free tap water all over the place so when you are out you can still enjoy tap water.
i actually buy bottled water to give to my local postie and any courier that comes by on a hot day , if i see someone stuck by the side of the road i also pull over and give what i can too.
it has its uses.
kitchen tap is fine, but bathroom tap? no way! (This is sarcastic and is an irrational belief I held as a kid)
So is it safe to say the op is in hospital or worse since he hasn’t reappeared?
Who would have thought Australian tap water would be the covid of 2021.
Probably all good unless there's a sign stating "Non-potable water".
Been drinking tap water my whole life. You can taste the difference if you change water sources within your state when your travelling though. Once again, were not a 3rd world country where you need to 'watch out' for tap water.
OP do you at least see that you were being unreasonable and wasting bottled water unnecessary?
Goodguy…. I understand this question but hope you have an open mind about the answers you recieve. IE. 99% of responses are that it is ok, I'd suggest you have an adjustment in your life.
As countless others have started earlier, Australian tap water is clean. It isn't recycled unlike parts of Europe or Asia where it passed through a few humans, then filtered before it reaches your lips. Yum!
Water supplied to the house/apartment/hotel in Australia is the same if in the kitchen or bathroom or garden. (Unless the house is setup for recycled water, normally toilet flush water or in the garden)
I'm curious where you are from originally to make this assumption that water is unclean from the bathroom or unfiltered?
I'm lucky to have lived in three countries with pristine water quality, Fiji, NZ and Australia. Mind you the issue with Fiji is that the piping/drainage is shocking and some people boil it still (depends on location).
I know of some European colleagues who always buy filtered water bottles for their homes as back in their original countries they're used to drinking it and often assume the same quality here. I've told them that they've got issues and they acknowledge it but the habit is too hard to break now (apparently).
It isn't recycled unlike parts of Europe or Asia where it passed through a few humans, then filtered before it reaches your lips. Yum!
Well, technically all water has been, it's just degrees of separation differences ;)
It's nice knowing that some part of the water you drink in your lifetime might, at some point in its chemical lifetime, have been peed out by a t rex ;)
Hotels/motels generally have a high water flow demand i.e lots of showers and lots of showers that can be on at a similar time. Due to this they may have a tanked water system. This will generally feed to showers, toilets and hand wash basings. Kitchens and all potable intended outlets will have mains fed water.
As to the question is it safe, generaly yes, personally I try not to drink from "hand wash basings" as they are intended as the name suggests, and can be fed from tank water.
And so, the existance of the tank and the cleanliness of that tank will be the deciding factor on wether it is safe or not. In Australia I imagine you would be very unlucky to get sick from even the worst of tanks.
ergh….
you should go to the doctor immediately, but it's probably too late now anyway
OP, I'm still alive after 50 years of drinking tap water!
I’ve stayed in many hotels and very few have bottled water in the room. Always some glasses though.
So my concern further lies, is it safe enough to drink water from the bathroom tap?
Yes, as long as you're not in Adelaide…
we used to buy those pureau casks (10L) per week because the tap water at home whilst perfectly safe to drink , did not taste right.
few years later i invested in a 5 stage water filter system and its been the best investment yet , initial outlay was expensive (around $400 plus install), every year i only pay around $100 to change the filters and every 3rd year it is a tad more expensive as the RO filter needs to be changed.
if you saw how much crap the first stage sediment filter picks up in a year , you would quickly understand it would be better off OUT of your body then inside.
also makes our house tap water have 0 taste as it should be. also the kettle does not have any residue on the bottom either in addition to the fact it prolongs the life of our coffee machines and no de-scaling needed.
some people will say "oh but you are missing out on all the healthy minerals" ….uh i like my water with 0 taste thank you.
my gf's apartment on the otherhand has a rainwater tank which i believe to have a dead body in it because the tap water tastes so foul , its like it has not been cleaned in over 10 years. i added a 3 stage filtration system and it wasn't enough to remove the taste in the water , when i look at the kettle (cause she boils the water first before drinking) it has real disgusting stains on the bottom.
oh and before i go, those brita water filter systems are absolute garbage LOL.
Your 5 stage filter is likely not removing many 'minerals'.
Drinking demineralised water is actually not recommended.Seriously, are you comparing the brita maxtra portable filter with RO filtration system?
If you are renting, installing an RO system is just too inconvenient. So what filtration system should your GF use?installing an RO isn't inconvenient , it is easily removed and put into a new dwelling with a little know-how. you don't have to be a qualified plumber to set it up but it is recommended you watch a few tutorials before you begin. it is easier in a house compared to an apt where there is more pressure in the system so you need a special valve to make sure there are no leaks.
here is an article i saw online based on the BRITA , the people who buy those types of filters are completely wasting their money for something that is nowhere on the same level of water filtration.
As for the GF i am awaiting delivery of a water test kit so i can try to figure out what is causing such a strong taste in the water , if there is too much prescence of a certain mineral and to test the alkalinity of the water as well.
I felt the 3 stage did improve but didn't quite hit the marker , at this point i was considering a 5 for the extra 1 micron water filter and the additional carbon filter to polish the water again before consumption , at that point it should be drinkable but i still get the feeling there might be a taste because from what she has told me she believes the water comes from a rainwater tank on top of the apartments but i somewhat disbelieve her because in her apartment block there is 11 levels and approximately 10-12 apartments on each floor. i haven't been to the very top to see but some part of me disbelieves it comes from there unless its really massive , i am not an expert so maybe someone abit more knowledgable in this could point abit more light.
compulsory edit: i did try a brand new brita water filter with a new cartridge and it did sweet FA , it tasted worse then the 3 stage.
Do you have a link to the water test kit? I would prefer to test and prove things myself.
RO works great for cooking and coffee machine.
Berkey water filter with the optional fluoride filters taste better than tap water.
Cheap 75c Bottled mineral water is also affordable for those that like non-chemical tasting water.
Thank goodness some people don't need to have a group-thinking session to decide if they want to drink free water from the motel toilet, or invest in clean water.
Grew up in small country town. sometimes the water can be discoloured or have a bit of an unpleasant task but the reality is it is as safe or safer than most bottled water. Australia has some of the best drinking water in the world, My wife having moved here only 6 years ago still struggles with this concept and is always looking for bottled water when travelling in Australia.
As an Asian I can say this is very typical of many asians. Some of my family members are so paranoid they boil all their water in kettles and then leave them to stand until cold. What a waste of time, energy and resources.
This deep seated paranoia stems from the fact that not every place on earth is as lucky as we are with regards to clean water. Old habits die hard I guess, but it's still ridiculous to boil your water.
This ensure there's no covid-19 in the water for sure
I work in the water industry and I've seen watermains that are just full of gunk and people rave on about it's "safe to drink". If you live in the new areas of Sydney , sure your watermain is new and clean and has been disinfected, but the water circulates around old pipes as well, most of them are all placed in 1950s-60s. You also have plumbers who works on it, industrial companies with no backflow prevention, crack in Watermain, rust, etc.
Dirty and debris always get trapped on the inner joints of pipes.I've seen field testers checking water quality of existing mains and never passes Sydney water requirements. There is just no budget in the water industry to fix all these issues. The water is safer than most countries, but we shouldn't be going about telling people to just trust the govt.
Always smell and taste the water, boil it if in doubt.
Some of you have probably never worked of consulted for a public water utility have you? I run a triple filter with coconut carbon as a minimum, mostly for the taste.
I had a ceramic filter in Melbourne, after 6 months there was 1cm of mud surrounding the filter - yuck!
Yeah but that stuff isn't going to kill or hurt you.
Lol.
Last time I checked australia is not IndiaIf anything regional area water is better
If unsure, you can boil the water using the supplied kettle.
Haha this reminds me of a time my friends who said they never drink tap water - said this while drinking "tap" water at a restaurant. Its all in the head, Australia has probs the best tasting and safest tap water in the world.
Why do a lot of people assume that the piping for taps in kitchen/bathroom/shower/etc in other people properties all have the same source, which is the main pipe? They could all be sourced from a water tank or bores. Is there a building code that ensures it?
The NCC part 3 plumbing code requires that bore water tap outlets be clearly marked as such. Toilets and Washing Machine stops do not require signage, however.
its not hard to boil the water out of tab and let it cool down.
OMG it's Jindabyne water! I was there recently and its such a tranquil alpine region, that I just assumed the taps let out pristine spring water!
You wont get Bali belly!
I've lived in the Northern Territory for 23+ years, everyone here drinks from the tap.
Luckily the UN provides free lifestraws in regional NSW motels.
Tap water is fine. If it tastes funny, just put it in the fridge for a couple hours. The gases will go out of it and the taste goes away.
Surely you're trolling.
Its funny that almost everyone here promotes the safety of drinking tap water even the water retailers do.
BUT…. Having worked for a major Australian water cooperation and a water retailer previously - every office or site I went to had a water filter installed for use. This doesn't instill much confidence if they themselves have water filters for their employees.I was friends with the water quality team and they said its true that the water quality in australia is one of the best in the world, however the guarantee of quality is only at that particular sample point. They said there was no guarantee on the water quality received at businesses and homes due to the age and condition of the piping from the reservoir and sample point to the home or business.
So I wonder why no one ever does wide scale random sampling from the taps from random home and business.
My 2c - I 100% get the squirts from tap water, especially if I haven't drunk it before or recently and my gut hasn't adjusted! Happened in my previous 3 houses in Adelaide and my parents' down the SA coast, and in Qld before that. Gut sensitivity is real speak.
Adelaide water is da best!!
i think you gonna die by doing that, RIP in advance
What the hell are you smoking my man, its NSW not Bangladesh
Throw in another question here: if you need hot water for cooking, do you boil from cool water OR hot water from the tap? When I first came to AU 10 years ago, lived in a quite old house and got advise that we don't use hot water from the tap for cooking. Moved to new house, I think it's a waste of has so been using hot water from the tap for cooking since then.
I went from Sydney to Armidale a few times for work trips, I couldn't drink their tap water, it was gross. No idea why. When I was a kid Yass was rank too. Only memorable times. Central Coast NSW is chlorinated as (profanity) but you get used to it. It can stuff up your homebrew too
Depends where in the central coast.
Due to geography, their couple of treatment plants need to cover a large area that requires multiple reservoir hops to provide coverage to the rather hilly terrain.
This can mean a slightly higher residual chlorine level in some areas over others depending on proximity to the plants. So the chlorine smell in say Tuggerah can differ from that in Toukley.(Never noticed it to be that offensive though, nor Armidale that bad when there recently. Armidale water all comes from a single water treatment plant located in the middle of town with water supplied from Malpas dam up the road)
Interesting, I'm on the peninsula and you can smell it a mile away. Good to know Armidale has improved, its been 5 years haha
What do you know now?
sometimes I wonder how society has made the advances it has…
This post makes me sad for us as a society.
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Step away from the computer if you have to wipe off Excel drops.