Dangerous bugs found in water on US planes

[NVMojo]

October 20, 2005

Dangerous levels of bacteria have been found in drinking water aboard 15% of planes at US airports, an investigation carried out by the US Environmental Protection Agency has found.

Twenty-four US airlines have now agreed to routinely disinfect their water supplies and monitor water quality in response to the EPA study. "Passengers must feel confident of the water safety on an airplane," says Grant Nakayama of the EPA. "These new protocols will provide protection."

The agreement, announced by the EPA on Wednesday, is a voluntary one. But the agency will spend the next two years drafting mandatory regulations for drinking water on aircraft.

The EPA tested water stored on 327 domestic and international airplanes at 19 US airports from August to September and then November to December during 2004 and found coliform contamination in 3 of every 20 craft.

more...

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8187

[medeak]

1. no coffee or tea for me! n/t

[MADem]

2. Anyone who drinks aircraft water is nuts

I know a ton of piots and flight attendants, and they won't touch the stuff--bottled water all the way. And if you ask for water, what you will get is a mini bottle of Daisani or some other brand.

[NVMojo]

3. yep, that's all I got from Delta the other day ...small bottled water ..

[MissMarple]

4. This summer on a flight they served water poured from a bottle.

It was a Continental flight. :shrug:

[medeak]

5. link says they use water to make coffee and tea

wonder if the ice is safe?

[Richard D]

6. If it has holes in it

it's made from purified water at an ice plant. I think that's what airlines use. Takes a lot of energy to make ice and I don't think it would be economical to make it on the planes.

[MissMarple]

7. Good point. Now, if we could be sure about the coffee and tea.

Does a coffee pot get hot enough to kill the little critters?

[Spinzonner]

8. Check by seeing if it burns your thighs first

If you get third degree burns it's probably safe to drink

:sarcasm:

[Mithras61]

9. Well, boiling is supposed to kill them...

but I don't know if the water is actually boiling or just hot enough to make a fast pot. I prefer to sip out of containers that are sealed until they are in my control when flying.

[ananda]

10. highly suspicious because..

.. the only water I've ever been offered has been bottled.