Typically, the 5-gal water bottles sit in a reservoir that is part of the dispenser. This spot is often forgotten about and never gets sanitized, promoting the growth of algae and mold. The result is usually a green, slimy fungus that ends up being ingested.
Perhaps what you should be concerned about is blue-green colour on your water bottle. Blue-green algae, essentially a part of cyanobacterial toxins have been found to bring about human poisoning in Australia, Europe and the Americas.
The chances of your 5-gallon water jug dispenser turning green are very high considering water and light are the only two ingredients needed to make algae. While green algae are non-toxic, they can be quite off-putting and can even impact the flavor and smell of your workplace water.
Key messages. Algae-affected water may not be suitable for drinking, recreation or agricultural use. Contact with affected water can cause skin irritation, mild respiratory effects and hayfever-like symptoms. Ingesting toxins can cause gastroenteritis symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and headaches.
Fill bottle with diluted vinegar, shake and leave overnight. Next day discard and rinse out with water. Air dry with lid off. *Once clean and dry, store empty water bottles with the lid off.
A: Hi Lori, thank you for reaching out. The recommended shelf life for bottled water is up to two years however the water itself does not expire.
Sunlight can promote algae growth and cause discoloration. If your cooler is in direct sunlight, it's essential to relocate it to a shaded area to ensure clean drinking water. Inspect the side of the bottle cap for the water's expiration date.
Add 4 parts of *chlorine to every 1,000,000 parts water - Chlorine also stops algae growth. In this small of a ratio, the water will still be safe to drink or irrigate with.
The appearance of HABs varies widely: blooms usually appear in various shades of green or blue – but may also be red, pink, white, gray, or purple. The texture of blooms may resemble spilled paint, green globules, surface scum, foam, floating mats, or grass clippings.
Sanitize the container by putting one teaspoon of household liquid bleach (5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite) in one gallon of water. Pour this solution in the container and leave it there for two minutes. Pour the sanitizing solution from the container. Rinse the container with potable (suitable for drinking) water.
ESSENTIAL TAKEAWAYS
The most common type of algae in drinking water is blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, which produces dangerous toxins called cyanotoxins. Consuming cyanotoxins can cause symptoms like headache, fever, diarrhea, muscle weakness, dizziness, and liver damage.
5-Gallon Bottles
The answer is a resounding yes! All of our plastic 5-gallon (and 3-gallon) jugs are made from 100% PET (BPA-free). They're thick and sturdy.
How can my water bottle make me sick? Individuals who are sensitive to mold may experience allergy flare-ups and respiratory problems based on the mold growing inside their water bottles, underneath the caps, inside the straws and even on the rubber ring that goes around the bottom of many stainless-steel models.
People should suspect that harmful blue-green algae blooms could be present in water that is noticeably discolored or that has surface scums. Colors might include shades of green, blue-green, yellow, brown, purple, white, or red.
Add bleach: To disinfect and remove algae, use bleach with a sodium hypochlorite strength around 7% and add 35mL (about 1.2 ounces) for every 100 gallons of stored water. This fix will only be temporary and will need repeating about once a week or so depending on the rate of algal growth.
Direct contact with algae can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, ears, nose and mouth. To be safe, people and pets should avoid water affected by algae. Do not use untreated algae-affected water for drinking, showering or washing. Boiling algae-affected water does not remove toxins.
In a clean quart container about half full of water, put 1 to 1 1/2 fluid ounces (2-3 tablespoons) of a standard unscented, non-detergent household chlorine bleach (5.25% concentration) for every 500 gallons of water to be treated. Pour the bleach solution directly into the storage tank.
Filled bottles should not be left outside for more than 24 hours and never in direct sunlight. Customers should be advised on best storage places, for example avoiding direct sunlight at windows, and keeping empty bottles away from dusty environments.
Most of the time, a quick scrub with soap and water should be just fine. But if you want to do a deeper clean every few weeks, try soaking your bottle for 30 minutes in equal parts water and white vinegar, which is known to kill mold spores.
As stated, the shelf life of 5-gallon bottles is up to two years. The water will not go bad at that point. Yet, it may develop a stale taste.
Bottled Water Cost
The average cost for a case of 24 12oz water bottles is around $6. In total these 24-pack cases amount to about 2.25 gallons. Therefore, in purchasing 5 gallon water jugs, there are some cases where you're paying only $1 more for over twice the amount of water.
The recommended shelf life is two years. The U.S. Food and Drug administration which regulates bottled water does not require a shelf life be listed but due to degradation of plastic over time, especially in heat we recommend two years for still water and one year for sparkling water.