Korean Job Discussion Forums

ella · Joined: 17 Apr 2006

What about the water coolers in offices that dispense hot and cold water? Do they filter anything? How about the heavy metals?

butlerian · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Location: Korea

Looks like the best bet may be to do what Victorian Britons did - drink beer instead.

Skinny Hippy · Joined: 14 Sep 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest

tfunk · Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Location: Dublin, Ireland

[quote="Skinny Hippy"]

bixlerscott · Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Location: Near Wonju, South Korea

Tap water? Forget it. It's horrible crap water. Being that bottled spring water is cheap and you will pay for gas to boil tap water that still has chemicals and heavy metals in it, get bottled water every day.

Koreans warned me on day 1 to not ever drink from the tap, . The tap water smells so horrible like nothing I ever smelled before. It is polluted water with the solids removed before redistibuting it to the citys' tap water supply. (recycled water not purified before giving it back to consumers) Your dish rag will really wreak like the character smell of the water if you got one drying out on your tap after using it. I am worried for my health that I shower in this garbage quality of tap water. Well, if they would filter it decently, it would not be garbage. Water is water when it is clean, regardless of how polluted it once was. Becuase Korea has a system of high quality cheap bottled water, tap water is not well taken care of, minus the solids are removed from waste water, but not chemicals. The tap is the nastiest water I ever seen and smelled. I refuse to try a taste. It's gross.

I can only bet cancer is very very high here from showering in this, and especially for those foolish enough to drink it. Water pollution is highly evident in Korea. Not to knock Korea, it's a fact, pollution is evident, be it in the tap or in a stream outside or the air we breathe. Running water appears to be most effected by pollution which is a huge environmental problem for such a high population place like this.

Now 750 won for a 2 litter bottle of spring water is well worth it, to drink in safety. Thats why bottled water is so cheap here, otherwise the quality of life would be too bad for Koreans to survive. Serious. You might even be able to fill that empty 2 liter bottle up once a day at work with decent drinking water if your lucky in order to save a few won too as I do.

Serious.

plokiju · Joined: 15 Mar 2005

I'd forgotten all about the tap water thing. My first 6 months here I boiled the water for 10 minutes before putting my ramyeon in. I can't be bothered to do that now. I do boil it though (because I'm boiling something in it) but never drink it out the tap... unless I'm hungover and am desperate for any source of water. Bottled water is much easier. Save yourself the time it would take to boil your own personal supply of tap water and go down to the corner store and pick yourself up a bottle for 800 won or so.

tfunk · Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Thanks for all the opinions/info.

Bugs don't really worry me as I've been drinking boiled water and I've yet to get sick from it. Heavy metals/chemicals concern me because their effect on me mightn't be known yet...just because I'm okay now doesn't mean I'm guaranteed good results from drinking in the future. And heavy metals, what do they do?...besides rock the house!

ella · Joined: 17 Apr 2006

Here is OSHA's page on heavy metals.

tfunk · Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Which of those heavy metals are found in Korean waters?

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

Some obvious advice:

Food and water precautions

Do not drink tap water unless it has been boiled, filtered, or chemically disinfected.

From: http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/asia/south_Korea.html

Has anyone ever noticed that big sign (in Korean) next to the Han River in Seoul claiming that the tap water is safe to drink?

oskinny1 · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Location: Right behind you!

Yikes.

Am I the only person besides a couple grandparents that drinks the tap water? Shocked

I have lived in places in the state that warms pregnant women not to drink the water, but to me it was fine (I wasn't preggo though).

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I heat water for my tea, but no where near boiling. Been doing it for years. No bad effects yet.

I think the necessity for boiling water here is vastly overblown.

nobbyken · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Location: Yongin ^^

If you are used to drinking bacteria in water, then your body will grow immune from MOST of them.

However, if you get a waterborne disease, you'll wish you hadn't. Stuff will exit your body from both ends, probably with great speed!

Boiling kills the bacteria, but does not take out the metallic taste in the water.
You need a jug filter or similar, which has a carbon filter to remove metals and chemicals.

We have a Brittas one, and although the filter removes some bacteria, we then boil the water for drinking.

It is not much trouble, as we always refill the jug with COLD water (warm water has massive amounts of bacteria), after we have used some.
If we boil the kettle for a cup of tea or coffee, then there is normally water left in the kettle. This is then used to top up water containers kept in our fridge.