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The next time Fido slips a gulp from the commode, don't fret. Maybe he knows something we ought to know.
A young Florida girl's school science project seems to confirm the notion that we've got made some distorted assumptions about cleanliness.
Seems the 12-year-old's award-winning analysis of ice and toilet water at fast-food restaurants concluded -- gag -- that the toilet water was cleaner.
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Comments (4)
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Allen, I heard about this story the other day on Neal Boortz' radio show. I haven't read the story, but the first thing that came to my mind was the question of whether the toilets were treated with anti-bacterial chemicals. It would make sense that the chemicals that are commonly placed in toilets would kill all the bacteria, thus making the toilet water free of bacteria- but it would still not be safe for human consumption because of the chemicals. Bleach doesn't have bacteria in it, but you wouldn't want to drink it.
Maybe the girl did take that into account, but I wouldn't be suprised if she didn't. This may a case where an assertion is true on the surface but not accurate when all other facts are known.
Posted on February 18, 2006 12:02 AM
I read the story, too, and the young girl may be on to something that isn't really new. Fast-food places don't ever drain and clean the ice machines; well, not nearly often enough. Anywhere there's stagnant water, there's going to be bacteria. (And there are different types of bacteria...)
Every 5-10 years, this story pops up. Ice machines need daily draining and cleaning. Perhaps you could find out if health inspectors in GSO or GC check for that.
Posted on February 18, 2006 10:39 AM
My husband and I traveled for 11 years all over the North American continent and never felt we had to be concerned with the tap water except in Mexico. We retired to settle in Greensboro in October 2004 and after only one week of using the tap water we went to bottled water for drinking. Still use the tap water for cooking since I figure the boiling helps kill what ever is there. Also still shower in it but do use antibacterial soap. Has anyone else out there noticed that the tap water has a black sediment in it as well as a bad taste?
Posted on February 18, 2006 12:59 PM
Brenda what if you lived in an area where when you turned on water to the bathtub you got bubbles/foam and had not added bubble bath? Oh and the water smelled like the wet Sears and Rareback kateelog in an outhouse.
Lived through that for about 2 years and never felt clean and carried water from the top of a mountain to dring and cook with. G'boro water was a blessing in comparison. Polk Co. water is even better.
Posted on February 18, 2006 5:09 PM