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Posts: 1197

Shifu

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Q: Where's the safest water to drink?

I just boil tap water but we've noticed that over time our pot has developed mineral deposits. Am I better off drinking that or paying money to get some from a public water machine?

10 years 25 weeks ago in  Health & Safety - China

 
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Water? Water! That shit's not safe, I recommend beer...

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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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Posts: 139

Governor

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Please don't take water from public water machine even it is more economical. If you are not concern about the cost, you can buy the drinking water or mineral water to drink and boil it when you need it to be hot water. The hygiene of the tap water depend on the location.My boiling pot has the same effect like yours.

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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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I would still boil the water , how much does it cost to replace your kettle ?

beaufortninja:

bought a new one for 200rmb. It's starting to do the same thing. 

10 years 25 weeks ago
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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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Tap water is OK if you boil it first, but I know some Chinese people drink it just like that. The mineral deposits can easily be removed by boiling a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water. Then fill it with water and boil again to get rid of the vinegar smell and taste. Cheap vinegar may cost you 1 yuan, a new kettle starts around 60.

Englteachted:

So you are saying the metals and minerals will just disappear from boiling? If you follow this advice your brain cells will die out. I am serious, I have never seen anyone give such dangerous advice. 

10 years 25 weeks ago
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TedDBayer:

she's talking about cleaning the calcium deposits out of your kettle or coffee pot, not drinking vinegar.

10 years 25 weeks ago
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Scandinavian:

but saying tap water is OK, is just BS, China has a hugely polluted waster supply and we are not talking about some dude pissing in the reservoir, we are talking massive amounts of heavy metals. Boiling does nothing to remove chemical pollutants. 

10 years 25 weeks ago
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Vyborg:

...(sigh)... Englteachted is reading things that I didn't write; TedDBaer understood my advice concerning the deposit but not Englteachted's comment; and Scandinavian has a point depending on where you are. I should have been more specific. My water (in Shenyang) comes from the water company and is pretty good - well, I am willing to trust it. In some parts of this city, the living estates have their own pump to get water directly from under the ground. That scares me too. Some further information can be obtained on this very site:

http://www.echinacities.com/expat-corner/Tips-for-Drinking-Safe-Clean-Water-in-China

http://www.echinacities.com/news/Standards-for-Bottled-Water-80-Lower-than-for-Regular-Tap-Water-in-China

In the end, life is not without risks. There's a lot of news about contaminated this and polluted that and toxics and heavy metals in China but here's where you live.

10 years 25 weeks ago
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Englteachted:

Rely on your own eyes and your own brain. I  have been using bottled water and the same kettle for 3 years,  0 chemical deposits in my kettle.

10 years 25 weeks ago
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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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What do you think those mineral deposits are telling you? That's what is going into your body. Do not drink tapwater period. Buy bottled water. 

beaufortninja:

where do you think bottled water comes from?

10 years 25 weeks ago
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Vyborg:

Once more this link:

http://www.echinacities.com/news/Standards-for-Bottled-Water-80-Lower-than-for-Regular-Tap-Water-in-China

The assumption in the original question that mineral deposits indicate something wrong per se isn't correct. TedDBayer up here calls them 'calcium deposits' because calcium usually is the main component of the stuff and not harmful at all. I would be very interested though in a precise chemical analysis of the stuff in my kettle. God knows what is in there and how much of the same remains in the water. that I drink. But as for now, it is a chance I take.

10 years 25 weeks ago
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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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i always boil tap water,anyway,i think it's safe.sometimes i buy Wahaha bottled water because the president of this company is a man quite responsible,i believe products from this company.

andy74rc:

Blind trust?

10 years 25 weeks ago
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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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The safest water to drink is imported. That being said, we use a principle of never buying the same water blindly, swap brands once in a while to spread the risk. 

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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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My friends wife works for the food safety department in my city, she recommends that only way to have safe water  is by the bottled water and then boil it, boiling just tap water isnt safe and drinking bottled water isnt  100 percent safe too, so best to do both

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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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My friends wife works for the food safety department in my city, she recommends that only way to have safe water  is by the bottled water and then boil it, boiling just tap water isnt safe and drinking bottled water isnt  100 percent safe too, so best to do both

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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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Back in your home country!!

Scandinavian:

Doesn't count if you are from Pripyat

10 years 25 weeks ago
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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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The safest water to drink is located underneath the industrial filth outside of heavy metal processing plants. Happy drinking. wink

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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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Water? Water! That shit's not safe, I recommend beer...

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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Scotland.

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10 years 25 weeks ago
 
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Shifu

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Why don't you have a water fountain? They are REALLY cheap, around 100 will get you a basic one with hot and cold functions, then you just buy the water from nearby your home (they even deliver) costs about 15rmb for a gallon depending on the brand.

 

Scandinavian:

doesn't fix the problem where the water comes from, admittedly it is a lot easier than to carry water around yourself. 

10 years 25 weeks ago
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hiddenjelly:

Safer than getting it from the public water dispenser I think.

 

10 years 25 weeks ago
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A good way to have safe water  is by the bottled water and then boil it, boiling just tap water is somewhat safe to some extent, bottled water sometimes not safe enough.. I saw this from a web related to human genomic data analysis

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5 years 9 weeks ago
 
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A good way to have safe water is by the bottled water and then boil it, boiling just tap water is somewhat safe to some extent, bottled water sometimes not safe enough.. I saw this from a web related to human genomic data analysis.

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5 years 9 weeks ago
 
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A good way to have safe water is by the bottled water and then boil it, boiling just tap water is somewhat safe to some extent, bottled water sometimes not safe enough.. I saw this from a web related to human genomic data analysis.

MaggieJK:

Sorry, I forgot to attach the link. Source: https://www.cd-genomics.com/Genomic-Data-Analysis.html

5 years 9 weeks ago
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