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Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:15 pm
by DRTY
Whenever I've been away anywhere people always tell me I shouldn't drink the tap water. Is that actually true?
Surely if a country has tap water, then the water that comes through it must have been treated? And surely the people that live in these countries drink their own tap water.
Sorry for random boring thread, but I need answers.
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:21 pm
by faust.dtc
I think if you are not used to the foreign bacteria in the water it can give you the shits or summin. I just buy bottled water as a precaution anyway.
So how was your holiday Dave?
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:23 pm
by DRTY
Hmmm maybe, just seems odd, I mean it's only tap water
Holiday was brilliant cheers mate, drank fuckin loads of tap water too. Gonna up some fucking shite holiday pics to the dirtbook soon.
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:28 pm
by Sirius
over here its pretty safe. always drink out of the tap, rivers, lakes etc.
but fuk doing that in some overpopulated third world country!!
!!chea
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:31 pm
by theedman
Well when you consider the fluoride and other shite that goes into our tap water, I guess its not such a biggie, antho i do tend to stick with bottled when i'm away coz i prefer the taste

Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:38 pm
by Pada
Depends where you are tbh, if your in europe it will be fine (it might not taste very nice though).
One of my mates wouldn't drink the tap water in france, but then give him a bottle of french water with evian on it and he's fine :/
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:39 pm
by macroclimate
The reason is because the bacteria in the water is foreign to you. Growing up somewhere, you're used to the bacteria present in the water, so it doesn't make you sick. Elsewhere it can. There are also places where water from the tap is generally just not for drinking. But yeah, most places in Western Europe, North America, etc, the water is fine to drink.
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 1:12 pm
by NilsFG
Yep it's got to do with the bacteria.
When you're in Egypt NEVER drink tap water. You'll be sick for 2-3 days.
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 1:13 pm
by gnome
Sirius wrote:lakes etc.
!!chea
Don't drink still water
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 1:49 pm
by DRTY
NilsFG wrote:Yep it's got to do with the bacteria.
When you're in Egypt NEVER drink tap water. You'll be sick for 2-3 days.
Yeah, Egypt is the only place I've been to when drinking it has caused a problem.... I was pissing out of my arse spintaneously for a good few days.
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 1:58 pm
by lloydnoise
I think I asked this in another thread.. Why do Americans seem to only drink bottled water? It's like tap water over there seems damned or something. We got flouride too y'know...
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:35 pm
by hackman
we rock this at home, fuck the fluoride

Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:46 pm
by herbalicious
Over here our guidelines for water cleanliness is high (thank OFWAT and the EA)...Not all countries have the same high levels.
Anywhere in the EU you're fine, as they have set standards by a universal body...Outside of that...you can't be sure how much they treat their water.
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:50 pm
by herbalicious
You wouldn't believe how many chemicals are used to treat our water that goes into our taps....But they are monitored very closely (or should be).
Interesting fact.....there is no legal limit to the amount of Chlorine that's put into the water...but because it costs so much, it's not in anyones interest to put any more in than is needed for treatment.
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:52 pm
by test_recordings
hackman wrote:we rock this at home, fuck the fluoride

What is it? I don't drink tap water abroad anyway, even in France I still feel fucked the day after doing so. Iodine tablets are useful if you really need to do so, they kill off the bacteria and I've drunk our of streams in the countryside using them so they probably work quite well
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:57 pm
by DRTY
yeah wut is dat hackmang
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 2:59 pm
by gwa
lloydnoise wrote:I think I asked this in another thread.. Why do Americans seem to only drink bottled water? It's like tap water over there seems damned or something. We got flouride too y'know...
because their water tastes fucking awful. the bottled water still has flouride in lol
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 3:00 pm
by herbalicious
lloydnoise wrote:Why do Americans seem to only drink bottled water?
The American Dream...Obvs.
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 3:03 pm
by pkay
i bring a britta filter when im out of country.
Bad experiences in Guam and Brazil from drinking tap water. Thought I was going to die both times.
Re: Tap Water (Abroad)
Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 3:04 pm
by DRTY
pkay wrote:i bring a britta filter when im out of country.
Bad experiences in Guam and Brazil from drinking tap water. Thought I was going to die both times.
Where in Brazil? I drank it in Rio Grand De Norte and was OK