Help!!water Caution @wdw???????

[The Hunt]

As the link from the water authority shows, the water is not contaminated (at least at the source). When you get sick from drinking the water in a foreign land, it is because of microorganisms in the water. Public water in the US is treated to remove these organisms, and unless there is some problem with the treatment system, you won't get this kind of illness from drinking water. (For more general info, see http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/faq/faq.html#2ndary)
However, water can have strong tastes and smells, and can have different levels of various chemicals that are not believed to have adverse health effects. It is certainly possible that some of these could make a few people sick--indeed, some people may feel sick because of the taste or smell alone.
A number of posters have stated with some certainty that the water at WDW made them sick. It's possible, but there are other possibilities too, such as food poisoning, an infectious illness (like the flu or even a bad cold), allergy, etc. Millions of people visit WDW every year, and I am confident that very few of them get sick from the water. So I'd say that unless you have some condition that makes you especially susceptible to changes in your water, don't worry about it.

 

[RoseNJ]

I have well water at home in NJ and I really can't stand the water anywhere else I go, including Disney. To be perfectly frank, I get constipated ( and my family does too) when we switch water. I started buying water and using that a couple of years ago and that helps a little, but not much. I too try to avoid the ice and fountain drinks as much as I can on vacation but I do that everywhere. Ever taste NYC water? It makes WDW water seem like Evian!inkbounc

 

[jaletu2000]

My! this has been a really interesting and informative post. I have really just started to drink water all the time instead of cola. The tap water here at home is great if it's cold. When we go to WDW I'm going to be sure to bring some bottled from home. I don't like the bottled at WDW - the taste is not too great. But last year we refilled from the fountains and had no problems. It's possible the lower water table makes the taste even worse. I'll certainly be thinking of this next time I pack! Thanks for the tips!

Jaletu

 

[georgiapeach60]

I guess we were fairly oblivious to stuff like that on our first trip. We didn't get sick and I didn't notice that the tap water tasted or smelled bad. Now, if you really want to get sick, drink the water in China!

 

[FBZ]

The wife was in bed sick on our last trip to WDW.
It was not until the day before we left that we figured out it was the water. She drank only bottled water the last day and she was fine. We have since bought Brita filtered bottles and hope they work. We leave in 8 days so I will let you know. Also bought the brita pitcher so we will double bang the water.

 

[buzz5985]

What Ted Kennedy has to do with the water at Disney?
Did I miss something? Are the Democrats being blamed for that now, too?

When we visited in March we went to Walmart and bought Bottled Water by the gallon. Waited in line for hours - couldn't believe how bad customer service is outside of Disney. I had 5 people in line ahead of me, waited 45 minutes. Can you imagine that up here? Be out of business in a minute. Can you tell I hate standing in line - outside of Disney of course. LOL

Janis

 

[cottontail]

What about the water they give you in the wdw restaurants and hotel restaurants, do we have to keep away from that water as well.

Deb.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

that if there truly was a water problem that was Disney's fault and it was causing so many people to get so terribley sick, that someone would have already filed a class action suit against Disney.

My husband was hospitalized years ago with a very severe case of food poisoning, and as a result, has a very, very sensitive stomach. in our 30+ trips to WDW, he has never had a problem with the water there. No one in our family has.

 

[jenbren]

We just got back and we drank the water. It does have a taste and smell of sulpher (not awful but there) and we drank bottled water when we could but in the restaurants etc. we drank what they gave us and we drank out of the fountains and no one had a problem. If you know you have a sulpha sensitivity then I would avoid it but otherwise I would say it is a matter of taste and not health. Remember that there are many other ways to get an upset stomach - rich food, dehydration, too much sun, excitement, over-exertion etc.

 

[summerrluvv]

This thread was actually posted before we went to Disney World, and it got me really paranoid, so we sent down a bunch of bottles of water to arrive before we got there. I must say that I was paraonoid over nothing. My hubby drank soda, ice tea, etc. and it all had ice in it and he was fine. I of course just drank the bottled water we had sent down.

I had heard so many horror stories about how the water smells, even in the hotel rooms, and how it makes people sick, but none of this happened to us. Maybe they did something about the smell in the hotel rooms, because when I brushed my teeth the water smelled and tasted fine to me, and we come from a place where we have city water, not well water. I even drank all that coke in Epcot in the sample area, and i felt fine.

 

[RamVA]

I am really stumped about this, and don't know whether to take my own water or not!

I have chronic stomach problems--hiatal hernia, non-ulcer dyspepsia (symptoms of an ulcer with no ulcer!)acid reflux; and IBS, which causes cramping, nausea, and diarhea--and it can be triggered by stress, fatique, certain foods, and changes in water! I am also allergic to supha drugs, but as one poster said don't know if that's the same as the mineral sulphur. However, even though I have had some occasional tummy upsets while at WDW (every year for the last 10 years) find it hard to believe it's the water, or I'd be sick all the time--and I have the most sensitive stomach of anyone I've ever met.

Also, would just like to mention, that several years ago I came down with a bad case of "giardia"; it's a bacteria found in water (usually stream/spring water, and water in 3rd world countries) but can be passed through food preparation as well. The symptoms are as has been described here--flu-like, cramps, nausea, diarhea, but it doesn't go away; and it most definitely can be found in any municipal water supply, although not common. Bottled water DOES NOT protect you from giardia or other bacterium(nor do filters). The only sure protection you have is boiling your water, which I did for several years after this, til I finally figured what were the odds of getting infected again? Who knows; maybe the water at Disney had some bacteria contamination; my doctor told me he had a friend on the water authority board and this is something that does occur.

 

[tink2dw]

All anyone here is saying is be cautious!! Then you are at least aware. No one Wants to be sick at WDW!! And then you decide how best to precede with your family.

If you get there and the water smells funny to you,then you can decide. If it doesn't fine. But some of us got ill from what? it's anyones guess. But there is alot of it out there!!

But you have read the Caution. and will be better prepared to cope than if no one had said anything about it.

Go Have Fun!!! and Do whats right for you!

 

[Jane and the Pixies]

I have never gotten sick from the water at the parks. I avoid certain water fountains that have a bad taste. Others are fine. The well water here in Orlando/LVB is nasty and can make you sick, in fact we are currently having our water switched to the county line because our well has made everyone in my family sick.

 

[Dr. Cocktail]

Drink plenty of sissy foo foo drinks at the hotel bar!!!!

 

[idontknow]

I haven't read all of the posts, yet, but I'm jumping up and down screaming "I'm not nuts!"

so sorry to hear about those of you that have gotten sick. I get sick, like everyone else with stomach problems, when ever I drink lots of Florida water. I have chalked it up to clorine poisoning. My dog went thru the same thing I did when he went swimming in the neighbors pool. He swallowed a lot of water and he was horribly sick. (vet said it would pass and give him fresh water and watch him for dehydration) I have been sick twice at WDW until I figured out it was the water! I've bought bottled water at the 7/11 since this has happened, and I've not gotten sick.

I used to live in Cocoa Beach, so there must be a difference in the clorine levels.

 

[tink2dw]

or the sulfer? and chorine!!!!!

 

[cottontail]

Hello:

I know nothing about wdw water but, last year here in Ontario Canada, in Walkerton about 8 people died from their town drinking water.
We had had an unusual amount of rain in may and this is in a rural area, I guess some of the manure from the farm animals got into the ground and into one of the wells that the town drew their water from. It was very sad for these families and townspeople, something simple as getting a drink of water killed all those people.


The government has spent a year trying to get rid of the ecoli that was apparentenly in the pipes as well. It was the largest number of people in Canada that have died from drinking water here ever. Just thought I would share this information. But again it was ecoli that was in the water.


Deb.

 

[tink2dw]

up for new look.

 

[starwood]

Just my 2 cents. I have been to WDW more times than I can count and have NEVER had a problem with the water. It seems to me if the water was bad everyone would be getting sick. The symptoms described sound more like some kind of stomach virus than bad water. Water taste is purely a matter of opinion. I personally can't stand the water in NY.

 

[Steffi]

I drink from the water fountains at WDW, and have never gotten the least bit ill from it. The same goes for my husband & DD7, and my daughter has a very sensitive stomach. I guess it just affects different people differently. The best way to set your mind at ease, I'd say, would be to just bring plenty of pre-bottled water.

I live in Tampa & they've recently changed switched from using plain chlorine for cleaning the water to, I believe, a chlorine-ammonia mixture. My whole family is completely unable to tolerate the tap water around here anymore. I don't know if they've switched in the Disney area as well, but if so, I can imagine that it may have something to do with the stomach ailments.

I will say, though, that my daughter HAS fallen ill with stomach ailments after our every visit to Busch Gardens. I don't know why, but I think it might have something to do with the water in the children's play area.