flush water or drink straightaway

[BobbyJoe]

Hi everyone,

I live on a top floor flat and would like to know when I run the kitchen cold tap should I run it for a few seconds before drinking it or will it not make a difference?
Does water sit in pipes when not used and should water in a kettle be replaced if it has been sitting for more than a few hours and also should water in a jug be replaced if kept out for a few hours at room temperature? Can bacteria form in water which sits out or in pipes for hours?

I drink water in the morning, head out to work, none of the taps or shower is used for another 9/10 hours until I return from work.

Any information would be appreciated thanks.

 

[RayW]

If you have any doubts it's best to use bottled drinking water.

 

[oz-plumber]

Personally, I wouldn't be concerned.

The water you drink is exposed to the elements and all of the creatures that inhabit the environments of the reservoir that holds the water.

Saying that, you should see the inside of some water mains that supply the water to the masses.

Chances are, the bottled water you buy comes from the same or similar sources.

Fairly safe to drink tap water from any source that is fed from Government water mains - all tested frequently.

 

[Basher]

I feel there's mis-information on the web on this topic.
Assuming you are in the UK, you have a water supply that is claimed to be amongst the best quality in the world,
Nevertheless there are sensible precautions you can take, as you suggest.

The water company that supplies you can give you info on their water quality.
South West Water have a web page (below) that I think covers most if not all of your concerns:

South West Water

Providing reliable, efficient and high quality drinking water and waste water services throughout Cornwall and Devon, plus servicing small areas of Dorset and Somerset.

www.southwestwater.co.uk

 

[Ric2013]

Water in the kettle will be boiled, so bacteria very unlikely to survive that. However, if it's an electric kettle with a coil-type element, I believe some of them contain quite a concoction of different metals that could possibly leach into the water over time. I may be misguided, but I would personally ditch any kettle water that has been sitting for several hours.