boiling water
Feb 24th 2009, 3:02 am
#31
Banned
Joined: May 2008
Location: Abu Dhabi
Posts: 1,936
Re: boiling water
The water in the mains here is fine. The problem with tap water is that it has been sitting around in roof or ground tanks in both villas and apartment blocks. The water in the tanks is at relatively high temperatures, often with inadequate covers (hence birds, vermin, dust etc.) can get in, in conditions suitable for bacterial growth.
Boiling will kill bacteria but only if you do it for long enough - which you probably don't.
I do drink boiled tap water at a push - but not for preference.
There are potential problems with the quality of water in the large bottles - but at least you can see what you are getting.
Boiling will kill bacteria but only if you do it for long enough - which you probably don't.
I do drink boiled tap water at a push - but not for preference.
There are potential problems with the quality of water in the large bottles - but at least you can see what you are getting.
how long do you need to boil the water to kill all the bacteria ?
is it for sure ?
Feb 24th 2009, 5:40 am
#32
Concierge
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 29,625
Re: boiling water
Beardman you have lived here all your life, what do you use for drinking water?
Feb 24th 2009, 5:50 am
#33
Banned
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 336
Re: boiling water
IMHO one thing to consider is kidney stones.
An awful lot of people who drink tap water seem to get them, locals and Asian's.
But I am talking Saudi and Bahrain.
Have you ever looked inside your water tank?
Jeez, there was half an inch of sand, leaves, old bikes and prams in mine!
An awful lot of people who drink tap water seem to get them, locals and Asian's.
But I am talking Saudi and Bahrain.
Have you ever looked inside your water tank?
Jeez, there was half an inch of sand, leaves, old bikes and prams in mine!
Feb 24th 2009, 5:52 am
#34
Account Closed
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 7,028
Re: boiling water
IMHO one thing to consider is kidney stones.
An awful lot of people who drink tap water seem to get them, locals and Asian's.
But I am talking Saudi and Bahrain.
Have you ever looked inside your water tank?
Jeez, there was half an inch of sand, leaves, old bikes and prams in mine!
An awful lot of people who drink tap water seem to get them, locals and Asian's.
But I am talking Saudi and Bahrain.
Have you ever looked inside your water tank?
Jeez, there was half an inch of sand, leaves, old bikes and prams in mine!
Feb 24th 2009, 5:57 am
#35
Truth is the safest lie.
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: @ the beach.
Posts: 7,240
Re: boiling water
Some bacteria spores can survive boiling 
.
As mentioned distilling water will make it superclean if done the right way but I probably wouldn't recomend it for your long term health (i.e. years).
If your really that anxious about water quality though perhaps be better off drinking your own piss TBH
.
.As mentioned distilling water will make it superclean if done the right way but I probably wouldn't recomend it for your long term health (i.e. years).
If your really that anxious about water quality though perhaps be better off drinking your own piss TBH
.
Feb 24th 2009, 6:20 am
#36
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: The Island of love
Posts: 882
Re: boiling water
Years ago we moved into a villa with a ground water tank - we opened the lid and it was pretty manky so asked the LL to have it cleaned. Next day two chaps turned up, emptied the tank to about a foot of water, then jumped in fully clothed (including flip-flops, used some manky old rags to wash the sides down. Jumped out, filled it up and said 'all done Madam' . . . .
In retrospect we decided we preferred the original mank to the scabby feet, sweaty clothes, unwashed body mank that now filled our tank. We emptied it and refilled it so many times it cost us a fortune . . . Only time I've ever used bottled water for EVERYTHING. Ugh, makes me shudder even now just thinking about it.
Now we don't look in the tank, what doesn't kill us will make us stronger . . .
N
In retrospect we decided we preferred the original mank to the scabby feet, sweaty clothes, unwashed body mank that now filled our tank. We emptied it and refilled it so many times it cost us a fortune . . . Only time I've ever used bottled water for EVERYTHING. Ugh, makes me shudder even now just thinking about it.
Now we don't look in the tank, what doesn't kill us will make us stronger . . .
N
Feb 24th 2009, 6:50 am
#37
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Dubai
Posts: 13,547
Re: boiling water
IMHO one thing to consider is kidney stones.
An awful lot of people who drink tap water seem to get them, locals and Asian's.
But I am talking Saudi and Bahrain.
Have you ever looked inside your water tank?
Jeez, there was half an inch of sand, leaves, old bikes and prams in mine!
An awful lot of people who drink tap water seem to get them, locals and Asian's.
But I am talking Saudi and Bahrain.
Have you ever looked inside your water tank?
Jeez, there was half an inch of sand, leaves, old bikes and prams in mine!
Feb 24th 2009, 8:51 am
#38
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Riyadh.
Posts: 1,899
Re: boiling water
Makes sense since the tap water in most parts of India is not safe.
Tap water in the UAE has more people checking it than bottled water - actually that's the same in most western countries too. Bottled water is often a big con (paying double, triple or more for the same commodity because it's in a plastic container) and most of it rarely comes from real natural springs.
N.
Tap water in the UAE has more people checking it than bottled water - actually that's the same in most western countries too. Bottled water is often a big con (paying double, triple or more for the same commodity because it's in a plastic container) and most of it rarely comes from real natural springs.
N.
Basically, the same thing was mentioned. Tap water is more stringently controlled than bottled water, which has far more relaxed monitoring methods than tap water does.
We started off using tap water for the kettle and cooking, but occasionally it used to smell strongly of chlorine and not taste nice. So we started using bottled water and found we using stupid quantities every week.
So, took someone else's advice,fill up a large jug with tap water, the keep that in the fridge, which somehow gets rid of the chlorine smell. WOrks a treat.
Feb 24th 2009, 9:10 am
#40
Banned
Joined: May 2008
Location: Abu Dhabi
Posts: 1,936
Re: boiling water
IMHO one thing to consider is kidney stones.
An awful lot of people who drink tap water seem to get them, locals and Asian's.
But I am talking Saudi and Bahrain.
Have you ever looked inside your water tank?
Jeez, there was half an inch of sand, leaves, old bikes and prams in mine!
An awful lot of people who drink tap water seem to get them, locals and Asian's.
But I am talking Saudi and Bahrain.
Have you ever looked inside your water tank?
Jeez, there was half an inch of sand, leaves, old bikes and prams in mine!
it is good to get the tank cleaned once a year ....
Feb 24th 2009, 9:12 am
#41
Banned
Joined: May 2008
Location: Abu Dhabi
Posts: 1,936
Re: boiling water
Some bacteria spores can survive boiling .
As mentioned distilling water will make it superclean if done the right way but I probably wouldn't recomend it for your long term health (i.e. years).
If your really that anxious about water quality though perhaps be better off drinking your own piss TBH.
.As mentioned distilling water will make it superclean if done the right way but I probably wouldn't recomend it for your long term health (i.e. years).
If your really that anxious about water quality though perhaps be better off drinking your own piss TBH
.i am not that worried
and we live a healthy life *Al hamdollaah*
Feb 24th 2009, 12:14 pm
#42
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2007
Location: Utopia
Posts: 1,644
Re: boiling water
The problem is more places are using chloramine these days which is a much more stable compound and does not gas off to the extent that standard chlorine does.
I have been in two minds to get an undersink RO system for the kitchen, only problem is like most things over here they try and rob you blind. One place wanted 2000dhs for a system that costs only $77 IN THE us.
Feb 24th 2009, 12:25 pm
#43
Once a blue Always a blue
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Posts: 480
Re: boiling water
The rust, the corrosion and the chemical inhibitors they put inside the pipelines is few of the reasons you shouldn't drink tap water.
Boiling the water will kill the germs but won't get rid of the chemicals. So your health or couple of dirhams is the question for your health.
Feb 24th 2009, 1:00 pm
#44
Truth is the safest lie.
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: @ the beach.
Posts: 7,240
Re: boiling water
My local pipes in the UK where victorian, sealed with lead and the local reservoir was half filled with mud that used to make the water brown when they could no longer pump water to keep the levels up 
.
PVC pipes indeed.
Still better stick to drinking imported beer just to be sure.
.PVC pipes indeed.
Still better stick to drinking imported beer just to be sure
.
