Bottled Water

[simplicity]

I keep a small amount of bottled water on hand as part of a food "first-aid" kit. I haven't used any for a long time.

Tomorrow I'm going on a 3-4 hour trek. It is hot. I thought I'd take a couple of bottles with me to keep hydrated.

The 20 oz bottles are from Sam's Club (Wal-Mart). Stamped right below the cap is a notice that they expired in March 2008.

Are they safe? What's with an expiration date on bottled water?

[sattie]

I tend to think some of it is a marketing ploy. To make you use more of the product. I do think that the water should keep well if properly stored in a cool place. But if it has been exposed to heat or anything like that, then I would stick to the exp date.

[mcnerd]

The water should be fine, but it may taste funny because it probably went flat with the loss of absorbed oxygen. That "air" is what helps give water a flavor.

[bowlingshirt]

Originally Posted by mcnerd

That "air" is what helps give water a flavor.

Air and water are indeed two of the tastiest things on the planet

[Loprraine]

I thought it was because of the plastic bottle, not the water inside. They tell people not to re-use them because they disintegrate. Or something like that.

[middie]

I think as long as none of the bottles were open it should be okay.

[mcnerd]

Originally Posted by Loprraine

I thought it was because of the plastic bottle, not the water inside.

Actually it is kind of both. Water bottles were not designed for long-term storage. I'm actually storing water in glass jars and causing a vacuum-seal to see if there is an improvement in the taste after a long period of storage.

I'm also experimenting with making water pouches using my FoodSaver and "pint" pouches, sealing only, that go into my emergency 72-hour kit. These can easily be recycled every 6-12 months to keep it fresh.

[simplicity]

Thank you for your responses. I was afraid the plastic container might contaminate the water.

It's only 3 months past expiration. I can deal with flat, warm water to drink. It's a whole lot better than no water at all.

[babetoo]

i drink lots of water. i only buy it about every two months.

i use the empty bottle for filtered tap water, cooled in the fridg. the bottles are so flimsy these days, that you must throw them away every once in a while and start over.

brand name doesn't mean anything to me, just buy the cheapest for supply of bottles.

to lazy to go see brand of my filter, but i know doing this saves a lot of money.

babe

[AMSeccia]

I wouldn't drink it. Why? Because with Y2K, my boss had me buy stacks of cases of bottled water. Some months later we had customers in and offered water. There were these strange floaties (flakes) in the bottles (Nicolet Artesian Water). The beverage service we used investigated, traced the bottle codes and said bottled water has no preservatives, and that we SHOULD mind the expiration date. Who knew?