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

[NotUrsula]

If central Florida water tap water causes you digestive distress, you are most likely reacting to the chlorine content, NOT the sulphur content. The problem is usually caused by a sudden die-off of bacteria already in your system, what is known as "intestinal flora". This is exactly the same thing that happens to people who get diarrhea after occasionally eating food containing hot red pepper. (That is how I learned about it. When I moved from S. Louisiana to the midwest, people would always beg me to make them Cajun food. People who regularly ate hot Mexican or Chinese food would be fine, but people who thought that my Cajun food was very spicy would invariably end up with a case of the collywobbles the next day, even they had eaten soup from the same pot. After a while I started using small amounts of black pepper in the soup and offering cayenne hot sauce as a condiment, and it stopped happening.)

Warning: I'm going to talk about digestive mechanics now!
You have intestinal flora, the "good" bacteria that help you digest food. Millions of the little creatures live in your gut. Everyone has them, and everyone is supposed to. People who live in a given place usually have a similar population of intestinal flora, largely because they eat a similar diet and also ingest it in the local water. A change of diet that includes something capable of killing a lot of this bacteria at once WILL cause gas and diarrhea for a few days, while you get rid of the decomposing dead bacteria, and your body gets used to whatever that new substance is. Chlorine is notorious for being one of those substances that kill off intestinal flora. If you lived there, you would get used to the water after a couple of weeks, and it wouldn't bother you any more.

Right now there could be some residual water supply contamination that is related to the hurricanes, which is always an issue after a hurricane strikes. However, the water supply is normally perfectly safe in Florida. If it makes you ill during every brief visit, it is not that the water is bad, it is that your digestive system is more delicate than most. Using a Brita water filter will usually be effective to help you avoid the die-off effect, as it removes most of the chlorine from the water.

 

[squidgyfish]

My husband wears a camelback that we fill from the tub each morning before we head out into the parks. He drops a bit of water purifier in there that we use when we go camping. Then we squeeze in some fresh lemon juice. Now we have fresh, clean lemony water that is FREE, we're not sharing any germs with millions of strangers at fountains, and we never get sick or have to taste yucky water. We are leaving for our third trip to the World in four years TOMORROW and I've only seen one other person with a camelback there ever. It really works out great - hands free and DH doesn't mind carrying it. I think it's the smartest way to go....

 

[7thdwarf/dopey]

Originally posted by squidgyfish
My husband wears a camelback that we fill from the tub each morning before we head out into the parks. He drops a bit of water purifier in there that we use when we go camping. Then we squeeze in some fresh lemon juice. Now we have fresh, clean lemony water that is FREE, we're not sharing any germs with millions of strangers at fountains, and we never get sick or have to taste yucky water. We are leaving for our third trip to the World in four years TOMORROW and I've only seen one other person with a camelback there ever. It really works out great - hands free and DH doesn't mind carrying it. I think it's the smartest way to go....

Hey, what a great idea! I especially like the lemon idea, since I just love lemons.

BTW, welcome to DIS!!

 

[sskem96]

It just depends on your system. I have a very sensitive stomach. I can't eat any Chinese, Mexican, or anything deep fried. I also can't drink the water at WDW or many other places. I can't get fountain drinks made with water either. It is a pain to have to go to a certain vendor cart so I can get a bottle of pop instead of getting a fountain drink with my meal, but I know the consequences. I will end up in the bathroom all day with labor-type pains. If you've never had a problem drinking water at other places you vacation, you'll probably be fine. But if you have a weak stomach or irritable bowel, or you've had similar problems with water in the past, you should probably avoid it.