Since water is a naturally occurring substance it has an indefinite shelf life, however due to the fact that plastic water bottles leach chemicals into the water overtime we recommend a 2 year shelf life for still water.
If stored properly, unopened, store-bought bottled water should stay good indefinitely, even if the bottle has an expiration date. If you bottled the water yourself, replace it every 6 months. Replace plastic containers when the plastic becomes cloudy, discolored, scratched, or scuffed.
All in all, water in plastic bottles should be safe to drink, and no less so than water in metal bottles or any other type of container. If they have contaminants in them, they are likely to be found at tiny concentrations.
Drinking from disposable a plastic bottle may lead to chemical leaching and toxicity. Chemical leaching occurs when heat causes the toxic chemicals from the plastic to be released into the water.
You should avoid drinking water left open for a very long time. The water left overnight or for a long period of time in an open glass or container is home to numerous bacterias and is not safe for drinking. You never know how much dust, debris, and other small microscopic particles might have passed into that glass.
Once again the answer is yes, according to Krogh. “The taste may be a bit flat but it isn't harmful,” he says. Even without being capped, water is potable for weeks or months as long as it hasn't been polluted by dirty fingers or spit which is full of bacteria.
Even though water is not acidic (unlike soda), whenever you drink out of a plastic bottle, you risk ingesting the chemicals used to make the bottles as these toxins can leach into the water over time. This is particularly common with older water bottles and/or those that have been exposed to heat.
Contaminated bottled water can harm your health, including causing gastrointestinal illness, reproductive problems, and neurological disorders. Infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems may be more likely to get sick from some contaminants.
Reused Plastic Bottles Can Leach Toxic Chemicals
Repeated re-use of plastic bottles—which get dinged up through normal wear and tear while being washed—increases the chance that chemicals will leak out of the tiny cracks and crevices that develop in the containers over time.
When people ask how long a five-gallon water jug lasts, some are wondering about shelf-life and others are wondering how long it will last in their home or office before they need to buy more. If it is shelf-life you are concerned about, you have a good six months before you need to replace your water jug.
Bacteria, fungi and even mold can thrive in a water bottle, thanks mainly to its moist environment. Simply rinsing the bottle out with water isn't sufficient, and care must be taken when cleaning bottles that have attached straws and narrow-mouth lids with lots of nooks and crannies.
Label container as “drinking water” and include storage date. Replace stored water every six months. Keep stored water in a place with a cool temperature (50–70°F). Do not store water containers in direct sunlight.
Sanitize with a dilute bleach solution by rinsing the inside of the bottle with a dilute bleach solution. Use 1 teaspoon bleach per quart of water. Allow the bottle to thoroughly air-dry after washing and sanitizing.
Additionally, single-use plastic bottles are mostly made of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, which is safe to use, but not reuse; these plastics can leach chemicals into your water if heated or scratched.
The average human should be drinking at least 8 cups, or 64 oz, of water a day. This means that if you fill up your reusable bottle once, you are already drinking half of your daily goal. This amount of water alone would require you to use two 16-oz plastic bottles; you'd need four for the entire day.
Bottled water is convenient and generally safe, but it's more expensive and less environmentally friendly than tap water. What's more, the microplastics in some products may pose health risks.
Both Stapf and Hutchings recommended washing your water bottle once a day. As far as sanitizing goes, experts recommend this at least once a week, but you can do it more often if you've been sick or you've taken your bottle outside.
Overall, it appears that tap water is a better option in most cases. It is convenient, free or inexpensive, and has much less of an environmental impact than bottled water. Tap water is also just as safe as bottled water, and most people will not be able to tell the difference in taste.
Stainless steel bottles have a number of pros and cons. Typically, they last longer than glass or plastic because they are corrosion resistant, and do not leach chemicals when exposed to sun/heat. They are generally more expensive than plastic, as the cost to produce them is much higher due to being energy intensive.
To be sure that the water you drink is safe, the best water bottle material is 18/8 food-grade stainless steel. The grade refers to the composition of metals, 18% chromium and 8% nickel, and is one of the highest grades of stainless steel available.
Once you open the bottle, it's best to finish it within a few days. Over time it will absorb some carbon dioxide, and thus its taste will change. That's why many sources recommend finishing the bottle within 3 days and actually refrigerating the bottle. What is this?
It's highly unlikely old water will make you ill
However, even smelly bottles are likely just encrusted with saliva, mouth bacteria, or even some mildew or mold, and there's likely nothing to worry about. If you're really freaking out about the bacteria in old water, or even on the plastic bottle itself, Dr.
Germs especially like to live and grow in water when it is stagnant (not flowing) or when it is not treated with enough disinfectant, like chlorine. It is important to know where your tap water comes from and how to safely use it for purposes other than drinking.
Molds grow in moist environments. They form in drinking water bottles because the bottle is in a moist environment. Drinking water bottles are often left in humid conditions with limited air supply, which creates a perfect place for mold to grow. There are about 100,000 mold types in existence and most are harmless.
Stachybotrys chartarum, or black mold, is one of the most toxic mold species. And, if you aren't cleaning your reusable water bottle properly, it is one of the culprits who might be living in there.