Drinking from hotel room sink - okay?
07-13-2014, 05:20 PM
#71
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2009
Position: Seat: Vegan friendly faux leather
Posts: 988
Well... I guess I'll assume the person was serious and will provide a serious answer.
In the USA and Canada, as long as it is a "normal" hotel hooked up to a municipal water supply (e.g. not some hostel or a campyard etc), you are completely fine. If you want to be really paranoid (and I agree with this) don't use the hotel-supplied glasses unless they are wrapped and disposable -- they often do not clean these well. Water supply is excellent in our country, and a prototype of a service that government can and should do well.
In foreign countries, you will have to research the water quality standards and see if it is potable. Most of the time it is not. When I'm in almost all "third world" countries, including Mexico, I only use bottled water, even for brushing my teeth, and I almost never get sick. As somebody said, local populations may develop gut immunity to all of the bacteria that are floating around, and you likely do not have the same protection, especially if there for only a short time. Remember NOT to add ice to your drinks, which often comes from the unfiltered tap supply.
In endemic countries such as India, use bottled water for everything. China used to be this way but major cities are now generally safe, but for most of Asia I would advise using bottled water. It is cheap "insurance."
In the USA and Canada, as long as it is a "normal" hotel hooked up to a municipal water supply (e.g. not some hostel or a campyard etc), you are completely fine. If you want to be really paranoid (and I agree with this) don't use the hotel-supplied glasses unless they are wrapped and disposable -- they often do not clean these well. Water supply is excellent in our country, and a prototype of a service that government can and should do well.
In foreign countries, you will have to research the water quality standards and see if it is potable. Most of the time it is not. When I'm in almost all "third world" countries, including Mexico, I only use bottled water, even for brushing my teeth, and I almost never get sick. As somebody said, local populations may develop gut immunity to all of the bacteria that are floating around, and you likely do not have the same protection, especially if there for only a short time. Remember NOT to add ice to your drinks, which often comes from the unfiltered tap supply.
In endemic countries such as India, use bottled water for everything. China used to be this way but major cities are now generally safe, but for most of Asia I would advise using bottled water. It is cheap "insurance."
07-13-2014, 07:40 PM
#72
Working weekends
Joined APC: Jul 2005
Position: Left Seat
Posts: 2,384
I use bottled water everywhere if I am drinking it. Even US tap water, I try to avoid drinking it. Clean teeth, shower, etc, tap, most anywhere, but I am not passing it into my stomach and digestive tract either.
BUT I am paranoid and travel with a small size fishing tackle box, with Cipro, Eye Drops, ear drops, ibuprofen, baby aspirin, Zithromax (sp?) tabs, multi-vitamins, etc for on the road sickness etc stuff
Just my opinon
BUT I am paranoid and travel with a small size fishing tackle box, with Cipro, Eye Drops, ear drops, ibuprofen, baby aspirin, Zithromax (sp?) tabs, multi-vitamins, etc for on the road sickness etc stuff
Just my opinon
07-13-2014, 11:37 PM
#73
Rubber dogsh#t out of HKG
Joined APC: Jan 2008
Position: Senior Seat Cushion Tester Extraordinaire
Posts: 625
This country has the largest supply of clean, sanitary drinking water in the world and we spend billions (with a B) on discretionary bottled water. Read some time where that water comes from. A lot of it is (shocker) tap water from a municipal source that is filtered and bottled.
I drink hotel tap water...I also wash out the cups with hot soapy water before I put my mouth on them.
There are people in other parts of the world that would literally kill for the water that people here turn their noses up at.
I drink hotel tap water...I also wash out the cups with hot soapy water before I put my mouth on them.
There are people in other parts of the world that would literally kill for the water that people here turn their noses up at.
07-14-2014, 01:19 AM
#74
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2013
Position: On the hotel shuttle
Posts: 5,949
Well... I guess I'll assume the person was serious and will provide a serious answer.
In the USA and Canada, as long as it is a "normal" hotel hooked up to a municipal water supply (e.g. not some hostel or a campyard etc), you are completely fine. If you want to be really paranoid (and I agree with this) don't use the hotel-supplied glasses unless they are wrapped and disposable -- they often do not clean these well. Water supply is excellent in our country, and a prototype of a service that government can and should do well.
In foreign countries, you will have to research the water quality standards and see if it is potable. Most of the time it is not. When I'm in almost all "third world" countries, including Mexico, I only use bottled water, even for brushing my teeth, and I almost never get sick. As somebody said, local populations may develop gut immunity to all of the bacteria that are floating around, and you likely do not have the same protection, especially if there for only a short time. Remember NOT to add ice to your drinks, which often comes from the unfiltered tap supply.
In endemic countries such as India, use bottled water for everything. China used to be this way but major cities are now generally safe, but for most of Asia I would advise using bottled water. It is cheap "insurance."
In the USA and Canada, as long as it is a "normal" hotel hooked up to a municipal water supply (e.g. not some hostel or a campyard etc), you are completely fine. If you want to be really paranoid (and I agree with this) don't use the hotel-supplied glasses unless they are wrapped and disposable -- they often do not clean these well. Water supply is excellent in our country, and a prototype of a service that government can and should do well.
In foreign countries, you will have to research the water quality standards and see if it is potable. Most of the time it is not. When I'm in almost all "third world" countries, including Mexico, I only use bottled water, even for brushing my teeth, and I almost never get sick. As somebody said, local populations may develop gut immunity to all of the bacteria that are floating around, and you likely do not have the same protection, especially if there for only a short time. Remember NOT to add ice to your drinks, which often comes from the unfiltered tap supply.
In endemic countries such as India, use bottled water for everything. China used to be this way but major cities are now generally safe, but for most of Asia I would advise using bottled water. It is cheap "insurance."
07-14-2014, 01:47 AM
#75
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2014
Position: 141 IFR Student
Posts: 114
Interestingly, all bottled water bottled in the US is supposed to say on the label where the water came from; for those of you who drink Ozarka, its just Houston Municipal Tap Water. I'm willing to bet the vast majority of bottled water comes from a similar sources. 1st World countrys almost always have safe tap water. I haven't been to a 1st world country yet that doesn't have potable water. Besides, thats not the real problem; there's more fecal matter on the door knobs and tv remotes than in the toilet of most hotels.
07-14-2014, 05:16 AM
#76
Working weekends
Joined APC: Jul 2005
Position: Left Seat
Posts: 2,384
Read the label on bottled water. Some is sourced at muni water source, some is spring water. You gotta be smart enough to read the label folks.
As far as people in parts of the world would kill for our tap water, yes, of course they would. Same parts of the world would kill to eat a Big Mac every day.
No, that does not make it ok for me to do it.
As far as people in parts of the world would kill for our tap water, yes, of course they would. Same parts of the world would kill to eat a Big Mac every day.
No, that does not make it ok for me to do it.
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