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sheba
Joined: 16 May 2005
Location: Here there and everywhere!
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 Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| The teachers at my school dont even use tap water for tea or coffee. Boiling it isnt good enough for them and it isnt good enough for me either!! Im not going to take the risk. My school lets me fill bottles up from the water purifier and take them home so I dont have to pay for water at all. Perhaps you could do the same if you dont mind carrying them. |
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laogaiguk
Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Location: somewhere in Korea
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| Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Troll_Bait wrote: |
In my humble opinion, whoever said, "That which doesn't kill me makes me stronger," is an idiot.
That which doesn't kill you can leave you weakened you for life.
Cutting off your legs won't kill you provided that you're rushed to an adequate hospital in time. Does that make you stronger? |
Yes, it does  Without legs you will now have to get around in a wheelchair, which will build up your arms and upper body muscles (as you have no choice). YOu could go for an electric one, but you still need to pull yourself out of it and do things like lift yourself into the bathtub, etc... So you would literally become stronger than you were now  |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Troll_Bait wrote: |
| In my humble opinion, whoever said, "That which doesn't kill me makes me stronger," is an idiot. |
Friedrich Nietzsche.
| Troll_Bait wrote: |
| That which doesn't kill you can leave you weakened you for life. |
Sometimes.
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| Cutting off your legs won't kill you provided that you're rushed to an adequate hospital in time. Does that make you stronger? |
Nope. But is that analogous to the subject at hand?
In terms of the effect of stress and contagen on the human immune system, Nietzsche's aphorism applies.
In terms of heavy metal poisoning, Troll_Bait's words are relevant.
So, in so far as tap water (especially unboiled) might make one sick, it results in a body that adapts antibodies that ends up eventually strengthening the immune system;
Yet, in so far as tap water is resulting in organ damage (aluminum deposits in the brain), it causes a body to breakdown slowly and continuously.
So... make sure your water doesn't have much metal in it. And if the bacteria doesn't kill ya, it'll make you stronger! |
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Njord
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Location: South Korea
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| Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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OK, I can understand if the water is not safe to drink. But shouldn't there be a more definitive answer to this question? Doesn't Korea have some sort of public health authority with an official opinion on the safety of the water?
Here's the best I could find from the Ministry of the Environment:
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Drinking water treatment measures have been widely expanded in order to address public concerns related to waterborne viruses and pathogens. Among these efforts include the development of comprehensive plans for the adoption of water treatment standards as well as for the improvements in water purification facilities ('03.4). In addition, MOE provided thorough technical support for a total of 140 small (70) and technically vulnerable (70) facilities.
In particular, the government has introduced advanced water treatment technologies in facilities taking raw water from the 3 major rivers (Han, Nakdong, Yonsan) that are contaminated by domestic and industrial wastes, covering 50% of the total project budget. These advanced techniques have been adopted in 17 facilities by 2002 and will also be introduced in Moon-san County in Paju City, Moon-san County in Dae-gu City, and Ban-song County in Chang-won City. In parallel, expert training for the operators and operation assessments will also be undertaken in order to enhance the efficiency of newly upgraded water treatment facilities. Furthermore, MOE is making a vast investment of 3.8 trillion Won (3.3 billion USD) (1997~2011) to replace 42,757 km of aged water pipes across the nation. During 1997 ~2002, 13,799km water pipes were replaced with the investment of 1.7 trillion Won (1.5 billion USD). MOE prioritizes scientific water management that will secure tap water quality, and a shift to consumer-oriented water management that will lead to greater reliability for trust from citizens. |
This article from a Korean environmental NGO also looks interesting.
And this doesn't look too good:
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In Korea the quality of surface and tap water is generally poor and nearly every year there are many cases of enteric viral disease such as gastroenteritis and aseptic meningitis reported. Viral infection through contaminated drinking water may be occurring. This study examined tap water from 11 urban sites in Korea for infectious enteroviruses and adenoviruses over a period of 11 months between 1997 and 1998. Tap water samples were collected and cell culture followed by PCR amplification was performed to simultaneously detect enteroviruses and adenoviruses. Viral concentrations were estimated using a most probable number method. Sequence analysis of PCR products was carried out to identify the viruses detected from tap water.
Of the 23 tested water samples, enteroviruses and adenoviruses were detected in 11 (48.8%) and 9 (39.1%) samples respectively. In five samples both viruses were detected (21.7%). The frequency of viral contamination was very high compared with other published studies. The level of viral contamination in positive samples ranged from 2 to 29 virus particles per 1000L. Given that a single rotavirus particle may be sufficient to cause infection, these levels would exceed US EPA recommendations that drinking water should not present a risk of infection greater than 1 in 10,000 people per year. |
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chest rockwell
Joined: 16 May 2005
Location: Sanbon
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| Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Just boil it and you'll be fine |
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Troll_Bait
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: [T]eaching experience doesn't matter much. -Lee Young-chan (pictured)
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| Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 10:20 pm Post subject: |
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| chest rockwell wrote: |
| Just boil it and you'll be fine |
Unless the water has metal in it.
One way to minimize the amount of metal in water is to let the cold water (hot water pipes absorb more metal) run for, say, about twenty seconds, then collect the water.
Personally, I prefer a filter because, as I said before, you can't put a price on health.
laogaiguk & VanIslander:
Maybe I was in a bad mood this morning, and ended up choosing a very exaggerated example to make my point.
Yes, surviving bacteria or viruses will make you (your immune system) stronger, but heavy metal poisoning or organ damage will not.
And I'd rather have two functional legs that two Hulkesque arms. |
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Masterjazz
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2006 11:11 pm Post subject: Re: Tap water |
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| jaganath69 wrote: |
| Masterjazz wrote: |
Silly question maybe, probably................
I was in Bangkok and that water is defo off limits but other places it aint great but you can still drink it...
Cheers |
Says who? I've been to Thailand 13 times since 1993 including a one year stint living there, and have drunk tap water pretty much every time I was in the capital. No ill effects thus far. |
Well then just hope it stays that way... |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2006 2:22 am Post subject: |
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| Korean tap water is generally safe. I have filters set up at home because the water is too heavy straight from the tap. |
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marlow
Joined: 06 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2006 3:37 am Post subject: |
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Best thing is to use one of those filter systems that can convert even swamp water to something pure.
Anyway, bottled water... my 2L bottle of store brand Home Plus water within its expiry date had mold in it. It was sealed.
Boiled tap water, bottled water, filtered.... Mmmm.
I saw them bottling water on the news one night. About five brands of bottled water are the same thing from the same bottling plant, and they aren't filled up at some pristine spring. Anyway, spring water is just Korean ground water. SamDaSoo might be clean, but it's probably just Jeju tap water.
I'd be more worried about the air. I don't smoke and I hack up sooty phlegm sometimes. At least I don't swallow it. |
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haywill22
Joined: 22 May 2004
Location: Tri-city area Chinhae, Masan, Chang-won
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| Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2006 10:38 am Post subject: |
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Don't know about your cities:
Here in Chinhae, the water is treated at the treatment plant using Ozone. But ozone doesn't have any residual like chlorine (or bromine) so once it leaves the treatment plant there is no protection against whatever it picks up in it's long trek to your house... the farther away you live, the greater chance that the water's been sitting in a pipe and may have possibly passed through a contaminated area.
As an extra tid-bit of info, Korean bottled water is fluoridated... so you can get your daily dose of flouride... why would they do this???? Because the tap water isn't meant to be consumed out of the tap. |
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keninseoul
Joined: 09 Mar 2004
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2006 5:24 pm Post subject: tap water |
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| the word i get from my K friends, is that the city water is stored in tank on most apartments - and gawd only knows what lurks in the tank - seems there are no standards/measures/controls. We boil. |
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Demophobe
Joined: 17 May 2004
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| Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 1:57 am Post subject: |
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| Woongjin home filtration system. Cheap, reliable and safe. Call them. |
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Fantomas
Joined: 04 Dec 2005
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 10:51 am Post subject: |
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| I've heard from several Korean sources that Seoul tap water is rife with hepatitis and heavy metals. Paranoia, you say? Get a filtration machine; it's only 30k/mo and you can actually enjoy drinking the water... |
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pet lover
Joined: 02 Jan 2004
Location: not in Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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| I use a humidifier 24/7. It uses tap water. Unless I've got my air cleaner on turbo to battle it out, I end up with lime dust coating everything. Am glad I'm not drinking all that lime...just wish I wasn't breathing it. |
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jacl
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:26 am Post subject: |
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Go ahead and drink it. Tastes like green tea sometimes. Does a body good. Maybe you'll get a kidney stone, but at least you can kill two birds with one stone and get a full medical while you get it removed.
Bottled water's probably straight from the tap when you think about it. |
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