How Long Does Bottled Water Last?

How Long Does Bottled Water Last

COVID-19 quarantine has caused so many of us to run to our nearest grocery stores to stock up on all the items that seem to be flying off the shelf. Toilet paper, cleaning supplies, and bottled water seem to always be in low stock if they’re even at the store at all! It can be so frustrating when you run out of your house to stock up only to find your favorite brand of bottled water is gone, and you have to settle for some lesser-quality water. You wish there was bottled water delivery in Atlanta so you wouldn’t have to run into this problem (good news: we’ve got water delivery just for you!). But with all this water piling up in your garage, pantry, or underground bunker, you’re probably wondering: Does bottled water go bad?

Does bottled water go bad?

The short answer is yes. Some people view the expiration dates on water bottles as just a guideline, or they think only paranoid people abide by such strict dates. But, believe it or not, the expiration dates on the plastic water bottles you buy DO matter, and you should pay attention to them. Thankfully, bottled water has a generous expiration date compared to other types of foods. Unopened bottled water can last up to two years. Opened water bottles, however, can last a few weeks. Pure tap water usually expires after six months from the time it gets packaged.

We don’t tend to think that bottled water goes bad because if we drink it past the expiration date, the water seems to taste exactly the same (unless you have a sensitive palate). But would you eat meat or dairy products that have reached their expiration date? Hopefully not. And yes, the effects of eating spoiled meat or dairy does have more immediate consequences for those who disregard the date on its packaging. Drinking bottled water past its expiration date won’t give you immediate consequences, but it can have a lasting negative effect on your body.

What happens if you drink bad bottled water?

It’s not the water that goes bad. It’s the plastic in which it’s stored. Generally, the plastic used for bottled water is polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or high-density polyethylene (HDPE) for water cooler jugs. Over time, these plastics will slowly dissolve into the water or, rather, will seep into the water. This process gets sped up if the water is exposed to heat, whether it’s heat from the sun, engines, or even the heat from sitting in a hot garage or delivery truck.

Plastic is porous, too, so it will also take in outside odors and other elements wherever it’s stored. So if your bottled water is stored in a hot garage, it will take on those hot garage tastes and most likely whatever exposed chemicals you may have. (And you thought the sensitive palate bit was a joke.) Yuck.

Again, the effects won’t be immediate, but they are still negative effects. Health experts say that drinking expired water exposes the human body to reproductive issues, different types of cancer, and heavy damages to the immune system and can cause neurological problems. Overall, it’s best to avoid expired drinking water altogether. And in some cases, health experts recommend not drinking from plastic bottles whatsoever.

Never risk drinking expired water again

Perhaps a better question to ask is: Should you be stocking up on plastic bottled water if you don’t plan on drinking it between the time you buy it and its expiration date? Instead of letting old water pile up at your house, you could choose to have water Lipsey delivered to your door bi-weekly or monthly. It’s easily the best option if you don’t want to risk any adverse health effects from drinking bottled water, especially if you are storing up for your doomsday bunker. Our water tastes great, too.

We bottle our water at the source at the Blue Ridge Mountains. All of our water comes in pharmaceutical-grade glass coolers that are made in Murano, Italy. We take pride in the quality of our resources so we can bring you the freshest, high-quality water for your, our customer. If you’re curious to learn more about our product, contact us today. If you’re not sure about our water, try it out for two weeks for free. Stay healthy and happy!