On Board Drinking Water

[Niallo]

FAs usually offer pax drinking water from a pitcher. Where does this water come from? From tanks filled up at the last airport? From bottles? Is it purified on board? Tested? Safe?

[TightSlot]

It come from the drinking (potable) water tank on-board. The water is tested, sanitized and regularly checked both at source and on the aircraft. It may not always taste sensational as a result of the chemical cleansing. I have operated to destinations where the potable water was not up to standard, and round-trip water was carried from the UK, and in one case, where we diverted to uplift. I have been drinking it regularly, hot and cold, for over 30 years: I am not dead - most days I feel pretty good.

That said, I anticipate follow up posts from others who will now prove to you beyond a doubt that airline potable water is a festering cocktail of lethal microbes that will do things to you that make Lassa Fever look like an itchy nostril.

[man friday]

just drink beer instead!

always in a bottle, or can and sterilized on production

[boardingpass]

I believe the water is safe, but I do wonder what is at the bottom of those tanks on aircraft 10, 15 or 20+ years old.

[CornishFlyer]

Cold water from BA is poured from bottles of Highland Spring water. The hot water used in tea and coffee is, as stated, from the potable water tanks ;)

[WHBM]

Water from the potable bulk tanks goes through an ultra-violet filter which, along with particle filters, deals with anything undesirable in the water. These have been around for a long time - the restaurant cars on trains, where the vehicle has been maybe standing in the sidings overnight, have long had the same UV technology.

[Rainboe]

I believe the water is safe, but I do wonder what is at the bottom of those tanks on aircraft 10, 15 or 20+ years old. Can't you just see it when they open up those old tanks! Fronds of deep green seaweed washing forward and back as the water slops each way.......the odd cigarette packet floating from the last engineer who worked on it.......a few soggy butts floating about.....an empty plastic coke bottle and a few polythene bags........

Aircraft water is not as bland as you might think. I don't drink it cold, but have no option for tea, which I do overindulge in! Here is one report
http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1197382219738

I suggest this is only read if you have a strong constitution:
http://www.pprune.org/passengers-slf-self-loading-freight/71511-aircraft-tap-water-found-contaminated.html

[Niallo]

Rainboe: Thx for refs. After skimming thru them, I will follow Man Friday's suggestion!

[22/04]

What about ice - is that tested too? I now avoid ice on my drinks if it has been uplifted in India. Am I wise or paranoid?

[Rainboe]

You are wise. It is onloaded in large polythene bags, not made onboard. You have no way of actually knowing how clean the water used is, despite the facilities being inspected and authorised by officials.

As they routinely recover and reuse syringes in various countries, I would not have faith in ice cubes! I used to find it quite curiously entertaining watching the cabin crew bashing hell out of the bags to break the ice up! Don't know why, but I secretly used to quite enjoy it!

[Alanwsg]

Hmmm .. On Sunday I returned from Sharm on a Thomson flight. They made an announcement that they had very little ice for drinks on boards as they weren't allowed to load the local (i.e. Egyption) ice due to health & safety regs.

And then ...
Later on in the flight I took my water bottle back to the galley area to get it refilled, I thought they'd fill it up from the tap. The CC opened a bottle of water, poured it into my empty bottle and gave it back to me.
WTF? Maybe if she'd just given me the new bottle I would have had to buy it?

[starbag]

We would avoid serving the potable water cold - we uplift large amounts of bottled water to provide drinking water for pax. The only time it's used for drinking is in tea/coffee.