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Water Purification Tablets For Tap Water?

Old 07-25-21, 10:29 PM
  #26  
CliffordK
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Originally Posted by kaos joe
It will change the taste to "hotel swimming pool water".
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Old 07-25-21, 10:32 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by MarcusT
I've found hotel water can taste worse because depending on how busy the hotel is, and what floor you're on, the water could have been sitting in the pipes for a long time . I usually let the water flow for a long time until I can feel the temp drop.
I assume you do that at home. So if there is a million gallon reservoir, and a network of 6" and 12" feeder pipes, you let your water run until the reservoir is drained and refilled, as well as all the pipes... Don't want anything but the freshest of water.
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Old 07-26-21, 05:04 AM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by axolotl
I've never noticed that "hotel water" tastes any different from tap water anywhere else in a town, or that it tastes "horrible" simply becomes it comes out of a tap in a hotel. The entire premise of this thread makes no sense to me.
Yeah. that is my thought on the topic as well. It kind of seems like looking for a problem to solve. In general water has been quite good the very large majority of places I have been on my fairly extensive touring in the US. Where it has.t been good it has been at least acceptable most of the time. There are a very few instances of truly bad tasting tap water. Those are pretty rare and isolated cases.

Hotel water... How would it be any different? It is municipal water from the same sources as the rest of the town or city unless it is well water in which case it would likely be similar well water only if anything more monitored. In the pipes longer? Maybe, but I doubt even that, after all, people in every room are showering and aren't paying the water bill.

I live in a city that has really good drinking water from the tap. I know it is good because I moved here and it tasted good right off, so it isn't just that I am used to it. It has won awards. And yet people buy cases of bottled water and drink it daily. Most of the bottled water is someone else's tap water and probably not as good as what comes out of their tap.

I don't understand the whole "bottled water thing" in general. Yes I get it where there is terrible water, but I don't get it where the tap water is okay which IMO is most places. BTW, I also don't get that a bottle of water often can cost more that a bottle of some other beverage.

During the pandemic when the taps and fountains were unavailable the need to buy bottled water might have been a necessity at times (maybe often), and may still be some places. I haven't been on the road and experienced that since I have been home during the pandemic, but it would be an annoyance to have to buy bottled water.

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Old 07-26-21, 06:35 AM
  #29  
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First World problem. Much of the world does not have access to safe water and we complain about a mineral taste.

I also don't get the bottled water phenomenon. What marketing genius figured out how to make a profit selling that?

I don't understand some people's fears. When I'm in town, I see people afraid of drinking town water so they buy bottled "mountain spring water." When I'm in the backcountry, at the actual mountain spring, I see people afraid of drinking that water so they buy chemicals to dump in it, or devices to treat it.

That said, I have plenty of irrational fears myself. Who doesn't? (Driving a car scares me.) That's the very definition of phobia and there are lots of those.
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Old 07-26-21, 06:51 AM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Papa Tom
You more-serious touring cyclists will probably know this.

I am doing a three-day "credit card" tour, but I want to be able to refill my water bottles from a tap if I need to. Hotel water usually tastes horrible, so would it be worth it to buy some of those water purification tablets that campers use and use them to remove the taste and toxins from tap water?
which third world or developing nation are you going?
If you are talking about a developed country, or perhaps your own u s of a, like here in Canada, tap water is tap water, whether in my house or some motel in x, y or zed town.
Can't say that I've ever been concerned about water from first world nations given the robust water treatment and testing programs in place.

PS if you do go the route of adding in some juice stuff or gatoraid powder or whatever, to avoid gungy bottles, just be sure to rinse them out really well. This can be a problem over time, I've had it and learned to be more careful (but on multi week trips)
The adding of a small amount of stuff is a good suggestion from others, especially if you are a picky water person.

Last edited by djb; 07-26-21 at 07:00 AM.
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Old 07-26-21, 07:08 AM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by djb
Can't say that I've ever been concerned about water from first world nations given the robust water treatment and testing programs in place.
Walkerton e.coli outbreak
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Old 07-26-21, 07:25 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by djb
which third world or developing nation are you going?
Maybe Flint, Michigan.
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Old 07-26-21, 07:26 AM
  #33  
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Yup, and the odd plane and hotel fall out of the sky too, but if an extremely isolated incident makes you uncomfortable with drinking our privileged first world water, filter away. ( I imagine you're just bringing this up as an example, and not really are concerned about water quality)
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Old 07-26-21, 07:27 AM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by skookum
Yep, it is possible, but it is a rare enough and very short term event that it isn't something that it raises a lot of concern for me. Not enough that I am going to go to bottled water (there have been bottled water e. coli scares too, btw) or treat all my water.
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Old 07-26-21, 07:30 AM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
Maybe Flint, Michigan.
will have to look that up, other than remembering the big guys first documentary about his home town and it's decline from the GM closures, I'm not in the American news loop on this.
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Old 07-26-21, 07:46 AM
  #36  
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Originally Posted by djb
Yup, and the odd plane and hotel fall out of the sky too, but if an extremely isolated incident makes you uncomfortable with drinking our privileged first world water, filter away. ( I imagine you're just bringing this up as an example, and not really are concerned about water quality)
Just an example of what can happen if we get too complacent.
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Old 07-26-21, 09:59 AM
  #37  
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Old 07-26-21, 11:01 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by djb
will have to look that up, other than remembering the big guys first documentary about his home town and it's decline from the GM closures, I'm not in the American news loop on this.
Flint, this will summarize it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_water_crisis

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Old 07-26-21, 01:16 PM
  #39  
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thanks, ya I looked it up to see the details.
Like with all regulatory issues, robust and transparent checking of details and assuring that timely checks are followed up on, are always going to be important.
Like with the odd plane crash that gets traced back to, lets say, improperly done and improperly recorded maintenance or repairs/schedules/not using the correct part etc etc , it does always come down to robust structures that are properly followed.
In general, when mistakes happen, procedures are amended to try to avoid a loophole or whatever that brought about the situation.
Having a robust media system in a society is a big part also, to hopefully not have improper methods and behaviours to be purposely hidden.
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Old 07-26-21, 01:46 PM
  #40  
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Originally Posted by staehpj1
Yep, it is possible, but it is a rare enough and very short term event that it isn't something that it raises a lot of concern for me. Not enough that I am going to go to bottled water (there have been bottled water e. coli scares too, btw) or treat all my water.
And treating it will not necessarily take the taste away, which seems to be the OP's main concern. In fact, it could make it taste worse, unless he likes the taste of pool water.
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Old 07-26-21, 05:04 PM
  #41  
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About 4 years ago, on the Cross Vermont trail, I stopped at the Onion River Campground. On the back of the bathroom door was a 'boil water' notice for the town! I survived.
Filters and iodine or chlorine tablets will take care of bacteria, and some viruses, I don't think they will do much for dissolved toxins like lead, pesticides, or what ever plastic acronym is currently in vogue.
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Old 07-27-21, 05:08 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by Pratt
About 4 years ago, on the Cross Vermont trail, I stopped at the Onion River Campground. On the back of the bathroom door was a 'boil water' notice for the town! I survived.
Filters and iodine or chlorine tablets will take care of bacteria, and some viruses, I don't think they will do much for dissolved toxins like lead, pesticides, or what ever plastic acronym is currently in vogue.
Some friends traveled around Asia extensively by bicycle back in the 70-80s. They treated their water with iodine and reported that they developed health issues as a result. I don't recall for certain what the problem was, thyroid maybe. I think they said that they followed dosage recommendations, but the long duration of usage was a problem. Higher dosage for shorter duration can also be an issue so be careful with iodine dosage.
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Old 07-27-21, 05:32 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by Pratt
About 4 years ago, on the Cross Vermont trail, I stopped at the Onion River Campground. On the back of the bathroom door was a 'boil water' notice for the town! I survived.....
Boil notice can mean that the water system did not have high enough chlorination levels, or that the system had lost system pressure, so a boil notice does not always mean the water has any pathogens. But you should still take a boil notice seriously and boil or filter or treat the water.

I think most campgrounds are far enough away from a municipal system that they have their own water system, usually their own water well(s). Those systems usually do not have chlorination, but usually have some form of required testing for water safety.
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Old 07-28-21, 03:52 PM
  #44  
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OK, now that many of you have provided useful info and others have just been sarcastic as usual, I will say that just about every time I am outside of New York and drink hotel, restaurant, or any kind of tap water, I get some type of stomach ailment. I'm not asking for anybody's judgment or validation on that one. It's just my reality. "Hotel Water" was just a reference point for tap water, as opposed to the type of from-the-source water people might drink while camping.

On top of that, I am sick of opening my hotel-filled water bottle an hour into a ride to find that it's not only pissy hot, but often tastes like what I would imagine the flavor of licking a lamp post might be. I had no idea those camping purifiers add a taste of their own, but now I know and I will not use them. Simple...end of discussion.
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Old 07-28-21, 07:41 PM
  #45  
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Originally Posted by Papa Tom
OK, now that many of you have provided useful info and others have just been sarcastic as usual, I will say that just about every time I am outside of New York and drink hotel, restaurant, or any kind of tap water, I get some type of stomach ailment. I'm not asking for anybody's judgment or validation on that one. It's just my reality. "Hotel Water" was just a reference point for tap water, as opposed to the type of from-the-source water people might drink while camping.

On top of that, I am sick of opening my hotel-filled water bottle an hour into a ride to find that it's not only pissy hot, but often tastes like what I would imagine the flavor of licking a lamp post might be. I had no idea those camping purifiers add a taste of their own, but now I know and I will not use them. Simple...end of discussion.
it's unfortunate that your system is so sensitive, that must be very limiting, but re camping purifier stuff, I think I've only had tablet purifier water once on a canoe trip in my youth, but i certainly remember the chemically taste to it, yuck, and have never wanted to use that again.
Always used various filters afterwards, pump through filters or a UV light one on some bike trips, but they don't really change basic taste, and I'm not that fussy unless it's really blah.

re pissy hot, on super hot riding days, this certainly does happen, and it's not pleasant but sometimes we have no choice and any water is still better
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Old 07-29-21, 04:46 AM
  #46  
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Put a wet cloth item around a water bottle to help keep it cool. Try a sock or worn pair of underwear.
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Old 07-29-21, 04:59 AM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by indyfabz
Put a wet cloth item around a water bottle to help keep it cool. Try a sock or worn pair of underwear.
I know the wet cloth thing is supposed to help, but I've actually never done it, just never think of finding an older large sock to use for this.
would like to try it to see how much it helps on a stinking hot day.

I do think I'll pass on the underwear though
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Old 07-29-21, 06:10 AM
  #48  
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I am like many here in that I don't do single use plastic bottles. I like using small convenience stores 'free' cold water and spend my money on their munchies. When water taste nasty (C&O canal pumps), I just use some flavored electrolytes. Now hot water after riding in this current weather sucks but if you're thirsty you'll drink it. I did on Sunday, ugh. Wet underwear, hmmmm, don't know if I can do that.
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Old 07-29-21, 06:12 AM
  #49  
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Originally Posted by djb
I know the wet cloth thing is supposed to help, but I've actually never done it, just never think of finding an older large sock to use for this.
would like to try it to see how much it helps on a stinking hot day.

I do think I'll pass on the underwear though
I find that just a plastic bag or two can help a lot. And a plastic bag fits much better in a cage than a sock. The plastic bag(s) reduces how fast the water warms up because the air flow past the bottle is minimized when the bag traps static air inside.

I discovered the plastic bag for cooling by accident. I wrapped a plastic bag around a bottle to put in my under-downtube bottle cage when riding on a muddy day to keep the bottle clean. And the bag appeared to help keep the bottle cooler.

I usually do not bother trying to keep my water bottles cold in hot weather if it is just water. Drinking warm water does not bother me on a hot day. But I insist on using a vacuum insulated stainless bottle for my iced coffee.
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Old 07-29-21, 07:44 AM
  #50  
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Originally Posted by balto charlie
Now hot water after riding in this current weather sucks but if you're thirsty you'll drink it.
That is how it is for me most of the time. Something I don't like but mostly live with.
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