Can Your Water Go ""Bad"" ?
One of the most stored and hoarded items in fallout shelters and bunkers, besides canned food that seems to never bare an expiration date, is bottled water. This is one of the smartest things that you can do in order to prepare yourself for any event in which you would need sustenance. In many rural areas, the drinking water comes from private wells, and ensures the safety of its content. This being said, if you're stocking up on water in preparation for needing it, is there a specific amount of time that you can keep t for, without it going "bad", or does water have the ability to last forever?
It may seem like a crazy question, but you'll be surprised to know that your health can be seriously affected if you drink water that has gone bad, because it is actually a possibility. There are two ways for water to go "bad."
If you've ever enjoyed a nice cold glass of water outside on a hot summer day, you'll know that the water you pour into the glass can swiftly become altered the moment you're outside for a short period of time. Everything from mosquito larvae and algae to a number of various other life forms, can fall into the glass and change the chemical makeup of your water in an instant. Granted, an open container is illogical to store anything in, but closed and sealed containers aren't much better when left for long periods of time. Even bottled water can see tiny microscopic insects creep inside and make themselves comfortable after a while. If you look carefully, most water even has an expiration date on it; this is a good indicator of how long it is able to be left standing without anything interfering with it.
Another easy way for water to lose its worth is for the container itself to leak any one of its dangerous and harsh chemicals into the bottle. Many of the standards put in place by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ensure that the manufacturers of popular plastics, use materials that are non-toxic and are impenetrable over long periods of time. This being said, more and more studies are showing the likes of Bisphenol A (BPA) and other dangerous chemicals being found in many FDA approved containers. Always make sure that any water or liquids to be consumed are stored in certified "food grade" containers. When in doubt, use glass or plastic with purified water inside.
Consult your primary care physician or chiropractor for any medical related advice.