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You may remember I blog I posted last fall about an EPA report regarding the poor quality of drinking water on a surprising number of commercial airplanes. Well folks, today's news isn't any better. In fact, a report by the EPA found the water quality on airplanes is actually GETTING WORSE!
Some 16 percent of airplanes tested in November and December had stored drinking water that failed to meet EPA safety standards versus one out of eight planes testing positive for coliform bacteria last summer. Bacteria was found in 29 of 169 airplanes at 14 airports throughout the country that were randomly tested for bacteria from galley water taps and lavatory faucets.
Since I travel at least once or twice a month and suspect many of you will sometime down the road too, here are some quick tips to follow if you want to protect your health when travelling:
- Ideally, bring your own water on board and store it in a clean a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottle.
- If you forget to bring water with you, be sure to ONLY take the water if you see the flight attendant pouring it from the commercial bottle. (You can also obtain a can of sparkling water, an option I frequently use.)
USA Today January 19, 2005