Quality of Drinking Water at WDW

[phamton]

We had that sulfur smell in our well water in south Texas. It will dissipate if the water is allowed to sit for awhile.

Two forms of sulfur are commonly found in drinking water supplies: sulfate and hydrogen sulfide. Both forms are nuisances that usually do not pose a health risk at the concentrations found in domestic water supplies.

Sulfates are a combination of sulfur and oxygen and are a part of naturally occurring minerals in some soil and rock formations that contain groundwater. The mineral dissolves over time and is released into groundwater. Sulfate may have a laxative effect that can lead to dehydration and is of special concern for infants. With time, people and young livestock will become acclimated to the sulfate and the symptoms disappear. Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria pose no known human health risk.


Hydrogen sulfide is flammable and poisonous. Usually it is not a health risk at concentrations present in household water, except in very high concentrations. Such concentrations are rare. Hydrogen sulfide odor is associated primarily with the hot water system. Water with hydrogen sulfide alone does not cause disease.

The offensive odor of hydrogen sulfide gas generally makes testing unnecessary. Most people recognize the "rotten egg" or "sulfur" odor and proceed to correct the problem. Hydrogen sulfide is one of a few water contaminants that can be detected at low concentrations by the human senses. The gas readily dissipates when water is exposed to the atmosphere.

Sulfate
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for drinking water fall into two categories -- Primary Standards and Secondary Standards. Primary Standards are based on health considerations and are designed to protect people from three classes of toxic pollutants -- pathogens, radioactive elements and toxic chemicals.

Secondary Standards are based on taste, odor, color, corrosivity, foaming and staining properties of water. Sulfate is classified under the secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) standards. The SMCL for sulfate in drinking water is 250 milligrams per liter (mg/l), sometimes expressed as 250 parts per million (ppm).

The water is Florida has to be tested by the Helath Department and they would not allow high concentrations of sulfate. It must remain in an acceptable range

Hydrogen Sulfide
Although many impurities are regulated by Primary or Secondary Drinking Water Standards set by the EPA, hydrogen sulfide is not regulated because a concentration high enough to be a drinking water health hazard also makes the water unpalatable.

The odor of water with as little as 0.5 ppm of hydrogen sulfide concentration is detectable by most people. Concentrations less than 1 ppm give the water a "musty" or "swampy" odor. A 1-2 ppm hydrogen sulfide concentration gives water a "rotten egg" odor and makes the water very corrosive to plumbing.

http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/water/g1275.htm

 

[tifandjim]

I don't think that the water is "bad" for my hair, I just don't like the way my hair looks in response to the soft water. I do notice a difference in taste, but I don't find it offensive. The worst water I have ever tasted was in Daytona Beach, FL. That is some really bad tasting stuff!!

 

[mousebrat]

Wow phantom

You really know your drinking water!

We live in the panhandle of Texas. Our water here is a combination of river water from eastern New Mexico, surface runoff to area lakes, and ground water. Although the water is somewhat hard, it has no odor at all. I think that is what shocked us the most with the Orlando water - water shouldn't have an odor at all.

I suppose it's all what you are used to.

We'll plan on drinking tea and go from there.

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

One suggestion is taking along powdered lemonaide or tea mix to mix into the nasty water. This helps a bit. I won't say it totally takes away the smell/flavor, but it helps. I just HATE paying the price they ask in the parks for bottled water.

 

[phamton]

Well, I'm not sure how much I know because most was a copy and paste from the url posted. My dad (a chemist) worked for the state health dept. in Texas until he retired. Part of his job, besides inspecting restaurants, was to test the city water supply. He used to let me go with him during the summers when I was a child. Our main problem was too much fluoride. He and a dentis in town started a part-time business making bottled water. This was in the early 1960's when no one bought bottled water. We named the company Glacier Water. He later sold the business as a loss to Hygeia water company. Glacier water is making megabucks now. Wish we owned some stock. This was in the panhandle of Texas (Lamesa, TX) to be exact. My husband is also a panhandle kid. He grew up in Amarillo.

When we moved to south Texas 12 years ago we lived out in the country and had well water. The sulfur smell was awful so we got soft water and a reverse osmosis system for drinking water. Now that we live in Orlando, I don't even notice the sulfur smell as it is not near as strong as our well water was.

Bev

 

[mousebrat]

Small world! We're from Amarillo too.

 

[magsmom]

In February the tap water was absolutely GROSS at WL concierge. We used bottled water all the time.
That is the one thing that you do not remember particularly well until you visit the world again.

We have a well in our new house and the water is extremely hard and has sediment. Still does not tase as bad as Disney's ... Very unlike city water that I have been used to all my life. Ended up spending big $ to get a conditioner and and reverse osmosis system as well.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

With 3 weeks in WDW this summer we started drinking the ice water from the various restaurants in the parks, and I can't really say that it tasted bad. I do have to admit there were several things that I liked about this in addition to the obvious cost savings - 1) less weight to carry in the backpack, and 2) ice water tends to stay colder than bottled water. I think we had one case where the water had a chlorine taste. No big, though - we just deep-sixed it and got water from another location later. I believe that saying the words "glass of ice water" vs. "bottle of water" saved us enough to pay for several meals - and we're not talking counter service here, either !

 

[MBELSANTI]

I just returned from WDW and we stayed at Pop Century. In the past visits we always spent a ton of money on bottled water. This time I decided to try the Britta bottle . WOW! I am spoiled with the great water we have here in Chicago and let me tell you the Britta made a huge difference! What we did was fill up the bottle with ice in the food court, then add water from the drink stations and it was great. When we ran out at the parks we asked for a cup of ice at the counters and they were more than happy to give it to us. We then filled up at the drinking fountains. I can say I've never drank so much water in my life! It really tasted great with the Britta bottle.

 

[Karl C]

Both times we went to WDW we thought the water tasted and smelled like sand. First time at the Wilderness Lodge and then at the Contemporary. Yuck! really, really, Yuck! The only time and place we thought the water tasted good was the drinking fountain at DMGM in the a hallway close to the Pizza Planet. We kept going back and filling our bottles there when we visited that park. I think the next time we go we will buy a tap mounted water filter or something like that. Each time we have visited, we spend spend 7 to 10 days and with 5 people buying Very Over Priced bottled water, the filter would quite easily pay for it self.

I really believe that Disney does not look into fixing this problem for the very reason everybody mentions. Bottled water sales. Thats got to be a big chunk of mula by gollie. Why would they want to fix the "foul" tasting water problem when it would loose oh so much moneyby doing so. My wife manages a restaurant here in South Dakota and they pay .28 cents a bottle and mark it up to 1.17 tax included. I bet Disney gets a very good discount for their vendors becouse they buy such a large volume and they charge, what like &2.50, $2.75 or so a bottle.

Humm, lets play a game here. Just for the sake of numbers, I'll say that on any given day they have an average of Maybe 50,000 people staying on property and visiting the 4 parks and each one buys just one bottle at 2.50 each, subtract, lets say, .25 cents for cost, $2.25 x 50,000 people, Wow! thats right at $112,500 a day, just for water! Then lets times in 1 month, thats $3.375,000. How about 1 years sales? Well lets just say it's alot. Even if I am off by 50% the monthly figure would be, $1.685,000. Now I do not really know what the numbers are but it's the point I'm trying to make. The decimal point that is. So if anyone questions why the water smells and tastes like sand...................