What are safe uses of non-potable water?
While traveling, you come across many different levels of water safety. In some countries you can drink the tap water, and in others you should avoid it at all costs.
Where do you draw the line when you know the water isn't safe to drink?
- Brushing your teeth?
- Washing dishes?
- Washing your hands?
- Washing clothes?
Do you also have to avoid eating anything that's liquid unless it's hot?
I'll give an example. I'm staying at a guesthouse in Bali that has a shared kitchen. There's a sign specifically stating that the water is non-potable, but we are asked to wash our dishes there. So the same cups I would use for eating and drinking have been washed with water that isn't safe. I've been doing it for a week and have been fine.
Best Answer
You don't have to leave North America to find non-potable water - the cottage I used to visit for decades drew its water from the lake, and this was used for showers, toilet flushing, dishwashing, and even for water-that-would-be-boiled eg for pasta or mashed potatoes. Eventually it developed a colour that nobody liked and we switched to using bottled water for cooking, but given the trouble and expense that bottled water entailed, nobody would fill a sink with it for dishes. Plus the cottage had a water heater, so the non-potable tap water was hot!
The compromise we came to was to wash in the hot tap water with plenty of soap, and when someone vulnerable (say, over 70, or pregnant, or a small child) would be using the dishes, to give them a quick rinse with bottled water afterwards just to be on the safe side. If this is practical at your shared beach house, I recommend it.
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What can you use non-potable water for?
Non-potable water is not treated to drinking water standards and is not meant for human consumption. Non-potable water, such as raw (untreated) water from reservoirs, is used for irrigation and other purposes, in addition to recycled water (highly-treated wastewater).Is non-potable water safe for bathing?
Potable water is suitable for drinking, cooking and personal bathing. Non-potable water is unsafe and not fit for human consumption. It can be used for other purposes like flushing toilets, watering plants etc.What is advantage of non-potable water?
Non-potable water is used across the nation to reduce the pressure on natural water resources. o Reducing a Building's Water Consumption. Approximately 35% of a building's total water use is from toilet flushing with an additional 5% for irrigation.How do you make non-potable water safe?
If you don't have safe bottled water, you should boil your water to make it safe to drink. Boiling is the surest method to kill disease-causing germs, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites. adding a pinch of salt for each quart or liter of boiled water.When is water safe to drink? - Mia Nacamulli
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Answer 2
You could use non-potable/grey water for flushing toilets, taking a bath, washing the floor, etc.
Answer 3
Generally non-portable water is not treated or has any purification. Well water is a good example where water taken from a bore hole on a farm is used for irrigation and not for drinking.
Drinking water has had treatment to remove any pathogens that may exist in the water that is drawn from a bore hole. Bacteria can live in extreme conditions and if is well known that bacteria can live in water, so drinking water will be treated to minimise the risk of these water borne pathogens from being able to spread though a drinking water system.
You can treat non-portable water with water purification systems and filtering systems.
Bottled water is not necessarily pure or better than tap water from a country that produces potable water as a standard. It is a myth that bottle water is better for you, therefore it is always best if you're not sure, to buy bottled water that is certified as treated for drinking.
If in doubt use water purification tablets.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Karolina Grabowska, cottonbro, Karolina Grabowska, Monstera