what water borne nasties could we have been drinking???

[SomethingVicardThisWayComes]

at work we have a water cooler - now its just come out that the powers that be decided months ago to stop the contract with the company that maintained them due to cost cutting - all the machines were taken out except one which appears to have slipped through the net.....

so for years weve been drinking from this machine which is plumbed straight into the pipes.....but the water goes through a filter.

recently many people at work including me have had a stomach bug....this coincided with a terrible smell in the canteen where the water cooler is - so someone decided to take it apart and have a look......

the filter was covered in mildew and mould..... its not been maintained and we have been drinking god knows what!!

i almost darent ask....and im not googling - its more than likely that weve all had dicky stomachs from this isnt it?
what bugs/spores/moulds have we been drinking??

i seem to be the only person seriously pissed off about it....but i have to be very careful with infection control due to stomach surgery - everyone else is apparently very blase about it....

This is a health and safety issue. It is reasonable to assume that a water cooler supplied by your employers will be safe. It does not appear to be, so I'd have a word with your health and safety people.

They have to take you as they find you, so your history of stomach surgery actually strengthens your case.

the bug has affected several people who have drunk from the same cooler, but some people haven't been affected....no one seems very bothered but im horrified. god knows what has been in that water.

It's also entirely possible that the stomach bug was just a stomach bug that has gone round, especially seeing as some people who have drunk the water are fine.

Ugh, we had this at work as well, it was horrible. Luckily someone noticed the taste and checked before anyone got ill.

I should think nothing too nasty, the really nasty water bugs come from water which has been contaminated in some way by dead animals or faeces. If this has come through the mains then it's probably comparatively harmless mould, but obviously enough to irritate a stomach, especially if you're sensitive to it.

i cant believe the water was safe though - it smelt absolutely vile! thought something had died in there......

everyone is putting it down to other things - dodgy bbqs, kids, bug, but it seems a weird coincidence that people started dropping like flies then to discover the state of the filter....

everyone thought the smell was the fridge - thought it had broken. turns out it was the cooler....

Oh NOT good.

There are so many things you could have been drinking.

If you have to be extra careful due to pre existing medical complications then please seek an appointment if you feel it is sensible

This is a big issues op I would be considering making a complaint.