Quote:
Originally Posted by Klazu
I just bought water without thinking about it. What is the issue with distilled water? I am curious.  |
It's very bland, and has a low pH. Water molecules don't handle being isolated from other things very well, they have a nasty habit of pulling other stuff into the water. Unlike what some people above have said, though, they won't do this to the point that it makes you sick. It's OK to drink distilled water, it's just unusual that you would want to since it tastes like crap. (It's also expensive to produce, requiring massive amounts of electricity, though unlike RO it doesn't waste much; reverse-osmosis water creates 2 gallons of waste water for every 1 gallon of drinking water. This is what you're buying when you buy most big box store bottled waters.)
While water is a good carbon sink, distilled water absorbs carbon dioxide exceptionally well and this gives it a very flat taste and a low pH, almost like a watered down tonic. If it is cold, it doesn't taste too bad, but if you're using it in an emergency kit it likely won't be cold. However, your body does absorb water best when it is room temperature, so if you're dehydrated, room-temperature mineral water will hydrate you the best.
I would recommend getting a spring water instead. Demineralized (distilled, deionized or reverse osmosis) water is going to be very flat tasting and will make your post-earthquake nightmare scenario even worse! Filling a container with municipal water will result in chlorine being absorbed by the plastic container, leading to a chemical taste of the water (if you leave it uncapped for several hours, the chlorine should off-gas and leave the water tasting fine but chlorine levels vary so you might not get a definite result), while well water, depending on the level of filtration, may result in sediment forming in the bottom of the container or even bacterial or algae growth inside the container. It takes about 2 to 3 years for a spring water's minerals to settle to the point that the water tastes bland, but if bottled under adequate conditions, bottled water will never get to a point where it will harm you, even tap water though it might taste like bleach.
Demineralized water is great for things like humidifiers, CPAP machines, cleaning sensitive equipment and making ice. The lack of minerals will make a very hard ice that melts slower than ice made with municipal or spring water, so you don't have to waste what you bought.
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Crazy! I've never heard of a quake in AB. 
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