Non-potable water in uni room

[AllProperTeaIsTheft]

Dd just started her first year at university. She has a wash basin in her room, but the tap says non-drinking water. Does anyone know if that mean she shouldn't even brush her teeth with it? Thanks!

Are you serious?

It means it comes from a tank, so there may be bacteria growth. It’s arse covering. Cleaning teeth is fine.

Non potable water has not been treated for human consumption. There is no way I’d be brushing my teeth in it.

that said there may be some ambiguity between non potable and non drinking, whilst the former is not for consumption, “non drinking” may well be treated water which is stored in tanks rather than direct from mains. which is similar for example with the bathrooms in most houses/hotels.

Thanksfor the replies, it says non-drinking. I've told her not to drink it, but she's been brushing her teeth with it for a few days and also wondered if it would be ok if boiled (she has a kettle in her room). I thought it might be arse-covering, but she is my PFB and I'm fretting!

It's come from a tank let's hope nothings got into the tank

I wouldn't brush my teeth in it. Legionnaires for a start

This is what my daughter's uni said:

I've finally got an answer back from our Estates Dept about the drinking water. "The bedroom/bathroom water supply is fed from a water tank, so this water is technically safe to drink, it may not taste as pleasant. The water supply to the kitchens is from the mains and is what we recommend you drink." I've spoken to a couple of former residents, and they've said they used to drink the water from their bedroom sink and were never ill because of it.

We have a water tank on the roof of our block of flats that supplies our bathroom sink and toilet. I have been brushing my teeth with it for 8 years and am not dead.

Our managing agents send someone to clean the tank and tests for legionella once a year.

I wouldn't be cleaning my teeth with that no. Water tanks are often uncovered in the attic and may have bird and bat droppings falling in, occasionally a dead rat, all sorts. Obviously the volume of water is such that the concentration of bacteria is low, but get her to fill a water bottle from a drinking water tap elsewhere. If she has a shelf above the sink you could get her a canister with a little tap?

Do you not clean your own teeth with water from your upstairs taps?

Honesty people are daft. The uni is making it clear that it's not specifically drinking water, as it comes from the water tank, like at home. There's no problem with cleaving teeth.

The uni has to do this in case anyone complains.

Like most bathrooms in the UK, surely?

I brush my teeth in the water at the bathroom sink but if I wanted a drink or to fill a bottle, I would go down and get it from the kitchen tap (mains fed)

She could always fill up a washes out pop bottle from the kitchen each evening and use it to clean her teeth with at night and the next morning.

My house is plumbed to have water straight from the mains to all cold taps, we have no cold water tank. Hot water goes through the boiler from mains to tap without hot water tank either, and that's the most hygienic way. Old house we did have a cold water tank in the artic but crucially it was securely covered so no chance of unhygienic substances - so was ok for teeth cleaning but I wouldn't have drunk it. If I am staying anywhere where I don't know if the tap is mains water or tank water and if tank what the state of the tank is, I will use water from a bottle definitely. Any university building more than about 20 years old I definitely would not trust the tank.

@OlizraWiteomQua

You are in the minority.

Most upstairs bathrooms take water from a storage tank.

It's not great for drinking as it's not fresh. It's fine for brushing teeth.

It's an over-reaction.

Most people would use it for teeth cleaning but there is a risk. She could alternatively boil and cool water for teeth cleaning in the morning before she leaves for at night, and at night for the morning, in a kettle. There are lots of good but cheap half-size ones on the market and kettles are usually allowed in the rooms. This is what I do in hotel rooms if I'm not sure about the water out of the tap.

I've never lived in a house with a tank, all the cold water came straight from the mains, the hotnstraight from the boiler....

Anyone with a combi boiler does not have a cold water tank, it’s straight from the mains. So lots of people don’t have a tank.

We had a dead pigeon in our tank when I was a kid. I drank the water upstairs 🤮.

Dh works in a school. I won't tell you how many dead animals they found in the water tank up high near the woods. No one died its true, or even got ill. But if I had known, I wouldn't have drunk it either. I guess it's safe. Until the pressure drops and the tank water gets less dilute and more funky. That's when the checked the level.......

I wouldn’t brush my teeth with it. We once lived in a house that had a spring fed water supply. The water was tested by the environment agency as the regulations of the time required. We had two outside concrete storage tanks and loft storage tanks. They tested the water at source and from each tank. At source and from the concrete tanks it was acceptable to drink but the bacteria was off the scale from the loft tanks.

I doubt she'd get ill and I'm sure I've
used non mains to brush my teeth.
But honestly ? No don't take the risk.

Absolutely fine to brush teeth with

80% of houses in the U.K. have combi boilers.

Thanks for this, I was panicking and wondering where my water tank could be and whether it was full of bacteria!

Managed buildings like a halls of residence or block of flats should have a water risk management plan in place which will involve regular testing of any standing water, flushing any pipework which hasn't been used recently and cleaning tanks where required.

It won't be directly from the mains but should be absolutely fine to brush her teeth in!

Meh, I have storage tanks in my loft and use the water for brushing teeth and also drink it. Havent died yet!