Site Search:
 
Speak Korean Now!
Teach English Abroad and Get Paid to see the World!
Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Do you drink the tap water?
Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Discussion Forum
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
HunterORL23
Guest




PostPosted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 10:40 pm    Post subject: Do you drink the tap water? Reply with quote

Just asking...
Back to top
jcm87



Joined: 19 Jan 2010

PostPosted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 11:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
akcrono



Joined: 11 Mar 2010

PostPosted: Mon Nov 22, 2010 11:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tap water has been safe to drink here for years now. Last year the government had a promotional campaign touting the safety (and flavor!?!) of the water. The only problem with the water is it tastes like city water. Get a filter and you'll be fine.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message AIM Address
bluewall15



Joined: 06 Jun 2010

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The water itself is totally safe to drink, but some buildings have old pipes and such that make it impure and taste bad. I drank the water for the first three months I was here and was constantly dealing with an upset stomach. As soon as I started drinking filtered and bottled water exclusively it cleared up. Good luck!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Quack Addict



Joined: 31 Mar 2008
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:43 am    Post subject: Re: Do you drink the tap water? Reply with quote

HunterORL23 wrote:
Just asking...


After it's been ran through a Brita!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Shapur



Joined: 27 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good lord no!

I've pretty much got a cast iron gut, but every time I've done it, it's always given me a stomachache and or the shits, without fail.
First couple of years I used to boil it on the stove if I ran out of bottled.
Boiled was passable, but it still gave me the odd stomach twinge, which speaks volumes.

These days just use a filter or buy bottled water.

Or you could try drinking it straight from the tap just once on the off chance your building's pipes are ok.
Personally I wouldn't try it unless your building is pretty new Wink
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
CrikeyKorea



Joined: 01 Jun 2007
Location: Heogi, Seoul

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 6:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

all buildings should have safe pipes, but the pipes leading to your building can be another story. in theory a technician should have already come to your house and checked it to tell you if it is either drinkable, drinkable after boiling or not at all-which is almost impossible. obviously if your place isn't new you should ask your land lord/lady.

All this Korean water is undrinkable, korea is bad crap is unproductive. it is in theory all okay, but you should have had your house checked and you will/would have been told the actual state by a technician...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
dudi



Joined: 15 Sep 2010

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 6:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes. Boil, cool, enjoy.
That being said I live in a new officetel building...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Shapur



Joined: 27 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 6:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

CrikeyKorea wrote:
all buildings should have safe pipes, but the pipes leading to your building can be another story. in theory a technician should have already come to your house and checked it to tell you if it is either drinkable, drinkable after boiling or not at all-which is almost impossible. obviously if your place isn't new you should ask your land lord/lady.

All this Korean water is undrinkable, korea is bad crap is unproductive. it is in theory all okay, but you should have had your house checked and you will/would have been told the actual state by a technician...


Nobody said anything like that CrikeyKorea.

You sound like you're projecting Wink

This is a factual thread about water quality.

Please leave the apologist kneejerk defensiveness out of it.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Shapur



Joined: 27 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 6:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

akcrono wrote:
Tap water has been safe to drink here for years now. Last year the government had a promotional campaign touting the safety (and flavor!?!) of the water. The only problem with the water is it tastes like city water. Get a filter and you'll be fine.


That's the 3rd such campaign I've seen in the last ten years.
All the locals I know treated the latest campaign with just as much cynicism as the previous two Very Happy
As ackrono said, get a filter,
or use bottled water.
Most Koreans don't trust the water system and still won't drink directly from the tap.
As so many other posters have said, the water itself is ok,
but you take your chances drinking directly from the tap because for whatever reason the pipe network is too variable in quality to guarantee that the water will still be ok when it arrives in your apartment.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Shapur



Joined: 27 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 7:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Double Post
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nfld_chingu



Joined: 29 Jun 2009

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 7:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I never drank the tap water in Korea once in 2 years. Did I feel bad about all of the plastic bottles? Yes. Before my first trip to Korea, I went to a travel clinic and they warned me against drinking the tap water there because it would be different from the water my body was used to.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
murmanjake



Joined: 21 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 7:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shapur wrote:
akcrono wrote:
Tap water has been safe to drink here for years now. Last year the government had a promotional campaign touting the safety (and flavor!?!) of the water. The only problem with the water is it tastes like city water. Get a filter and you'll be fine.


That's the 3rd such campaign I've seen in the last ten years.
All the locals I know treated the latest campaign with just as much cynicism as the previous two Very Happy
As ackrono said, get a filter,
or use bottled water.
Most Koreans don't trust the water system and still won't drink directly from the tap.
As so many other posters have said, the water itself is ok,
but you take your chances drinking directly from the tap because for whatever reason the pipe network is too variable in quality to guarantee that the water will still be ok when it arrives in your apartment.


I've heard this. Old pipes and unclean storage tanks.

I live in Dongtan, though. New City.

Been drinking the tap water since I got here and unless some cancerous chemicals been building up in my system, I'm fine.

Just moved in with a Korean family(not a bad deal at all). They insist on boiling the water. They say water is good, but "worried about health."

Whatever, so you think the water is clean but you boil it because that makes it what, cleaner?

They also mentioned old pipes, and impurities in the metal. In that case I still don't get the logic behind boiling. Aren't gonna kill those impurities you know...

I indulge them though and don't go drinking from the tap when they're around. They provide pretty much unlimited green tea anyways.

You know this would make for a good poll....
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
murmanjake



Joined: 21 Oct 2008

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

No fluoride in the water here is there?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
jvalmer



Joined: 06 Jun 2003

PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2010 12:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Once you go bottled you can't go back. I don't even drink tap water in Canada, although I'm sure most restaurants serves tap water.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> General Discussion Forum All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Goto page 1, 2, 3, 4  Next
Page 1 of 4

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.

Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group

TEFL International Supports Dave's ESL Cafe
TEFL Courses, TESOL Course, English Teaching Jobs - TEFL International