Storing Water

[kermit911]

How long can water be stored for before it goes bad? Can water go bad? If water is bad and you boil it will it be good again? Thanx all

[lenardzelig]

If the water and the container that it is stored in have both been sterilised (for example, in an autoclave) then in theory it should have an indefinite shelf-life. Providing, of course, you meant bad in the sense of "free from micro-organisms". If you mean particulate contamination then autoclaving wouldn't help with this.

[kermit911]

I mean bad as in undrinkable. Can u drink stagnant water? Well I know anyone can, but is it advisable?

[LazyGun]

You can store water in a plastic sealed container in a cool dark place for up to 6 months or so.

Drinking stagnant water is a bad move.... can be a source of typhoid, dysentery or hepatitis.

Boiling water can remove microbes,and should therefore make it safe to drink, but will not remove other impurities such as heavy metals etc.

[foulecamp]

When I used to work for the Water Board, we advised people not to leave water standing in containers and also to run cold taps because the dissolved nitrites very quickly convert to nitrates which should be avoided.

[kermit911]

Is there a process that can prevent water from going stagnant?

[LazyGun]

lenard has already answered that for ye kermit... sterilize both water and container, and it should last pretty much indefinitely

[spacechimp]

Hepatitis :O from stagnant water? :S

[LazyGun]

Heard of Hepatitis A spacechimp? :)

[spacechimp]

I've heard of Hepatitis C. I felt like putting lol there but I realised that it is no laughing matter.

[spacechimp]

Scary things are viruses, except avian flu, I don't really care about that one.

[LazyGun]

Hepatitis A can be transmitted via food, poor hygiene, water sources etc. I would imagine that it could be transmitted via bodily fluids also, if they were infected at the time.

Hepatitis B and C are transmitted via human bodily fluid exchange, mostly blood.

Can be quite nasty, all of em.

[Toureman]

out of the 11 answers above no one has answered your question can water go bad!

Yes it can!

In the days of Admiral Nelson the water went bad after a length of time at sea. The sailors on board were then issued beer, vast quantities and most of the officers drank wine. so on a long voyage all the crew were pxxsed!

[kermit911]

Thanx all

[qapmoc]

Well Toureman, so thats why there were so many shipwrecks in the old sailing days, I had always assumed that the wind and weather had a lot to do with it, just shows how wrong you can be!!!