Can I Drink Water Out of the Bathroom? (What to Consider)
Many of us have been in a situation where we’re thirsty, but there’s no clean drinking glass in sight. It can be tempting to reach for the nearest source of water, even if it’s the bathroom sink. But is it safe to drink water from the bathroom?
It’s not recommended to drink water from the bathroom sink. Bathroom sinks can contain bacteria and other contaminants that can make you sick. It’s better to drink water from a safe, clean source, such as bottled water or a tap that’s known to be safe.
I was always taught that the only safe water to drink in the house was from the kitchen faucet, but is this merely an old wive’s tale? In this article, we discuss the differences between the water in various rooms of our house.
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Here’s a Quick Pro Tip!
We could show you all the facts and research available on the internet, but it might still not ease your mind on the sanity of your faucet water. So, we’ve linked some products that you would maybe find helpful.
The best products to ensure your tap water is safe to drink:
1. Electric kettle– Can be used to boil water and kill any harmful bacteria.
2. Faucet filter – An easy and quick way to ensure tap water is safe for consumption.
3. Tap water test – The ideal to ease your mind on any suspicions you have of your drinking water.
Bathroom Tap Water
Tap water travels from your municipal water system (or your private well) through pipes and out of your faucet. The water usually travels through the main water line and into your plumbing system. Along this route, there are various points where tap water can be exposed to bacteria or other contaminants.
Drinking Bathroom Tap Water
The safety of your tap water depends on a few factors; the most important is how your water is supplied. If it runs through the municipal water system, you should be safe to drink out your bathroom faucet.
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) of 1974 was created, and certain standards were set to ensure that tap water in all states is up to standard and safe for individuals to drink from. The EPA also set treatment requirements for over 90 possible contaminants in the public water system.
This might not be enough of a safety net for you. So, one of the best ways to ensure that tap water is safe to drink is to boil it before consumption. We understand that this seems like a lengthy process, but boiling water is known to kill harmful bacteria and other possible contaminants.
You can boil water in a pot on the stove or use an electric kettle to boil water and store it in your fridge overnight to cool down. This will ensure that the tap water is safe to drink.
If boiling water and leaving it to cool down sounds frustrating, you could install a faucet filter on your bathroom tap. This will ensure that the water is contaminant-free as soon as you open the faucet. As a last resort, you can purchase a water drinking test from Amazon to put your mind at ease about the tap water in your bathroom.
Bathroom Sink Water vs. Kitchen Sink Water
You might assume that your bathroom tap and kitchen tap water are the same, and you are partially correct. However, the water in your bathroom might be contaminated with small amounts of lead.
This is due to old plumbing pipes lined with lead which were installed in houses throughout the late 1900s. Chlorine is added to tap water as a disinfectant; it usually has a very strong smell. Besides possible contaminants, bathroom water and kitchen water are essentially the same since both flow from the same source.
You might also enjoy our post on Whether You Can Drink Water Out Of the Kitchen Sink
Shower vs. Bathroom Sink Water
Similar to the water in your kitchen, the water in your bathroom comes from the same source. All of the water in your house comes from the municipal water system (or a well if you have one on your property). If you would really want to, you could drink the cold water from your shower.
The hot water from your shower would be unsafe to drink due to two factors. Firstly the temperature would not be comfortable to consume. And secondly, and more importantly, hot water runs through a water heater tank which could be contaminated with all sorts of bacteria.
Bathroom Toilet Water
The water in your toilet bowl is technically just as clean as the water from your faucet. If your toilet bowl is clean, then your toilet water is clean. However, drinking water from your toilet bowl or tank is not advisable since still-standing water could be a swimming pool for bacteria and harmful chemicals.
Your toilet water, faucet water, and shower water all come from the same system – so it is the same water before use.
You might also enjoy our post on How Much Water Does a Toilet Hold
Final Thoughts
Even though there are all these precautions, like the SDWA, sometimes the water in your county could still get contaminated. The local municipality will issue a statement outlining the cause of the contamination and when the water will be safe for consumption.
Technically, you can drink the water in your bathroom faucet, shower or even toilet tank since the US has a relatively clean water system. However, that doesn’t mean that the water could not get contaminated along the process. Drinking the bathroom faucet water should not be an issue, but we would not recommend drinking water from your toilet bowl.
