Potable water
 

I was flying as a paid pax on a long haul flight with an known international airline.
I asked for a cup of water and was offered straight from the boiler tap in the galley.
I didn't drink it as it is directly from the potable water.

During the meal, water was served from a metal pot............. So, I asked for orange juice.

Is it normal for an airline to serve water from the galley tap or just to save money???

Not being sarcastic, eating salad from certain countries washed with local water would give diarrhea. So, tummy pain after the flt is no more a concern for an airline.

I think that potable water is safe to drink from most countries. My airline does not pick up potable water from certain countries and as an airline we don't serve it in-flight as drinking water.

When I first started flying we used to use water from the potable supply but that has not happened for many years now; but I think this is more to do with customers and the general public actually wanting bottled water rather than because the potable water is not safe. It is more of a fashion thing, as also seen in restaurants nowadays, as years ago we would have had a jug of water in a restaurant also.

Potable water is specifically treated to make it safe but that can actually cause it not to taste too good and that is why airlines now mostly use bottled water. Potable water is however still used for the hot beverages that are made using the bev makers in the galleys.

The definition of potable is "safe to drink". Whether it is nice to drink is a different matter.

Few years ago there was a study reproduced even here that mentioned the quality of the drinking, tap, water on board aircraft was below standards. I don't remember any details but it corroborates with airlines using mainly bottled stuff.

Now about the taste, my elementary chemistry class taught me that the water is odorless and tasteless.


Rwy in Sight

Why would you not drink the water from the "potable water" tank? Each "potable water" line has a filter between the tank and any outlet/faucet.

If you drink the coffee of tea you are drinking water from "potable water" tank.

The tanks are periodically sterilized and the filters changer.

I think water from taps in the galleys is perfectlty safe to drink. Airlines would face major problems if they made people ill by giving them unsafe water to drink. It may not always taste the nicest though.

At my previous airline, we sold bottled water to PAX, and gave out water from the galley taps to those who didn't want to pay for it. It's the same at home - you either decide to drink the water from your tap, or go to the supermarket and buy bottled water.

Having said that, at my current airline (where we give out drinks, rather than sell them), we pour cups of water from large bottles for PAX, unless we happen to run out of the bottles though...in which case we might revert back to using the galley taps.

It is not if the potable water of the country is safe or not...

It is coming out form the water tanks of the airplanes. Have you ever been checked those water tanks? From inside? I did...

I suggest you to do this...
It is never drinkable...

Really? When, where and how? Do tell us.

Which is exactly why I'm calling him on it. How big does he think these tanks are anyway? How often does he think they are disinfected? I get really wound up by crap like this, posted by people who have never seen any part of an aircraft other than the cabin......

I do agree with the majority it is "safe" but tell me this, why do all major airlines provide bottled water for their crew?

Surely if it is then tap water should suffice?

Just playing devils advocate here....

I think the main reason that the crew are provided with bottled water is to help avoid all of the crew becoming unwell should there be a problem. The same reason that the flight crew cannot eat the same meal. It is also a lot easier to provide the flight crew with a couple of bottles of water than keep going in and out with cups of water every five mins!

Because as already mentioned the potable water, whilst perfectly safe to drink, does not always taste particularly pleasant. Also when you go to the lavatory on board and flush, and subsequently wash your hands, where do you think that water comes from?

The aircraft has only one water supply, the potable water. It actually makes sense to provide bottled water for drinking as much as possible as this then ensures adequate water supplies for hot beverages, and for supply to the lavatories.

Pilots with bottled water? :sad:

What about the terrorism risks? :=

They'll be giving them crash axes next :E

In our Lavs (A319) the tap water for washing hands is not potable (or at least there is a sign saying not for drinking) whilst in the galley the taps/coffee brewers are potable. I suppose the galley has line filters whereas the lavatory does not?

Having been involved in an industry where products were designed to carry potable water, I am sure that most people contributing to this thread had no conception as to the testing involved. Each product (say an hose) has to undergo months of testing before it is approved for production. This testing (amongst other things) measures to the most miniscule degree any contamination of the water from constituent parts of the product including fungal growth. This testing has to be done by completely independent laboratories, the manufacturers own figures will not be accepted, by the health authorities.

If someone claims to have discovered a water tank in an aircraft that contains contaminated water, I imagine they also reported the fact both to the airline and Public Health. If true, it would have been stamped on immediately. I do not know for certain, but I imagine that part of a major service would include a close inspection of the potable water tanks. I know it to be the case for the "black water"(sewage) tanks.

I remain of the view that drinking water aboard aircraft is suitable for just that- drinking.

There is a sign in the toilets as it is a health and safety thing. Some people do not uphold the basic principles of hygiene as others......I don't think I need to say anymore.

Believe it or not but Rotweiler has got a point. Having been an enigneer for nearly a decade before I started flying I have to agree that if you have seen the inside of a water tank you would not drink the water.

The airline I worked for cleaned the water tanks once a month by flushing them with strong chlorinated water for an hour. Howeven during the yearly check you would still find some contaminants on the inside of the water tanks. Nothing that would make a person ill but just not as appealing to look at. The flushing with chlorinated water kills any bad bacteria but it doesn't stop a small layer of sludge to build up on the inside of the tank.

As has been mentioned already, potable water is perfectly safe to drink. However if you have seen the inside of a water tank after a year of use before it is cleaned you will stick with bottled water.