bottled water shelf life?

[abailey362]

What is the approx shelf life of sealed bottled water that you buy at the grocery store? None of them have an expiraton date that I can find.

I know this isn't an ideal situation for water storage, but it's nice to have some around as well for easy portability and distribution

 

[Dirtface.45]

As long as the bottles stay sealed, I don't think you have to worry about it not being safe to drink.

 

[jbw8372]

From Ask Yahoo:

"According to the International Bottled Water Association, the FDA has not established a shelf life for water, so you can store those bottles indefinitely. As long as the packaging is intact and unopened, you shouldn't need to worry about any type of bacteria or microorganisms growing in the water. If the bottle has been opened, however, it can grow bacteria and algae if it is not consumed within 2 weeks.

So while it doesn't appear that unopened bottles of water actually go "bad" in the sense that they would make you sick, they might not taste the greatest after several years of sitting on the shelf collecting dust. "

I buy and store distilled water, just to avoid the chemicals used as "minerals to enhance taste" issues. Then add my own natural minerals for use.

 

[fenderbass07]

I think about 3 years if I remember correctly. All publix bottled water has an exp date printed on the bottle

 

[Bioshock]

The tests found traces of antimony, a chemical used in the making of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, used by most mineral-water sellers.
Small doses of antimony can make you feel ill and depressed. Larger quantities can cause violent vomiting and even death. The study stressed that amounts of antimony were well below official recommended levels. But it also discovered that the levels almost doubled when the bottles were stored for three months.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...rking-plastic-water-bottle.html#ixzz1XC2OhYdy

 

[Bioshock]

BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food containers often marked on the bottom with the letters "PC" recycling label #7. Not all #7 labeled products are polycarbonate but this is a reasonable guideline for a category of plastics to avoid. Polycarbonate plastics are rigid and transparent and used for sippy cups, baby bottles, food storage, and water bottles. Some polycarbonate water bottles are marketed as 'non-leaching' for minimizing plastic taste or odor, however there is still a possibility that trace amounts of BPA will migrate from these containers, particularly if used to heat liquids.

Safer products and uses: When possible it is best to avoid #7 plastics, especially for children's food. Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA. Find baby bottles in glass versions, or those made from the safer plastics including polyamine, polypropylene and polyethylene. Soft or cloudy-colored plastic does not contain BPA. Bottles used to pump and store expressed breast milk by the brand Medela are also labeled BPA-free

http://www.ewg.org/bisphenol-a-info

 

[unclear.six]

The tests found traces of antimony, a chemical used in the making of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, used by most mineral-water sellers.
Small doses of antimony can make you feel ill and depressed. Larger quantities can cause violent vomiting and even death. The study stressed that amounts of antimony were well below official recommended levels. But it also discovered that the levels almost doubled when the bottles were stored for three months.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...rking-plastic-water-bottle.html#ixzz1XC2OhYdy

This

 

[unclear.six]

BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food containers often marked on the bottom with the letters "PC" recycling label #7. Not all #7 labeled products are polycarbonate but this is a reasonable guideline for a category of plastics to avoid. Polycarbonate plastics are rigid and transparent and used for sippy cups, baby bottles, food storage, and water bottles. Some polycarbonate water bottles are marketed as 'non-leaching' for minimizing plastic taste or odor, however there is still a possibility that trace amounts of BPA will migrate from these containers, particularly if used to heat liquids.

Safer products and uses: When possible it is best to avoid #7 plastics, especially for children's food. Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA. Find baby bottles in glass versions, or those made from the safer plastics including polyamine, polypropylene and polyethylene. Soft or cloudy-colored plastic does not contain BPA. Bottles used to pump and store expressed breast milk by the brand Medela are also labeled BPA-free

http://www.ewg.org/bisphenol-a-info

And this

 

[Chris Mac]

Canned water may be an option. I've heard some manufacturers use internal sealants on their cans and I'm not sure what the health effect would be if they leech into the water. Seems like a good water filtration system (i.e., Big Berkey) is a must.

 

[blake]

Your best bet is to get some big 6 gallon camping jugs and store your water in them. Walmart sells them fairly cheap. A couple of years ago I had about 10 of the 1 gallon "milk jug" waters under our sink stored. I think they sat for close to a year and what I discovered was that in half of them the water had leeched out and collapsed the jugs. I would avoid those type altogether.