Summer is here and all the humidity and heat that comes with it. While our garden hoses can quickly quench our thirst, have you ever stopped to ask the question: is hose water safe to drink?

For many of us, summer (since we were children) has always included an occasional drink from the hose while watering the garden or during an impromptu water battle and we haven’t given it much thought. But, should we have been a bit more careful? Click on the video below or continue reading to learn more.

Do You Have Public Water or a Tested Well?

If you are on public water or a tested well, the water that comes directly out of the hose bib (aka faucet) is considered safe drinking water. So, the next time you are thirsty or the kids ask to get water from the outdoor faucet you don’t have to worry about bad bacteria coming directly from the spigot. You may want to think twice however before drinking from the standard garden hose which most of us have connected to our hose bibs.

Garden Hose Buyer Beware

While garden hoses are a necessity for keeping your plants watered and spraying an unsuspecting loved one every so often in the summer, the average garden hose is not rated for the purpose of supplying quality drinking water. Simply put, many hoses can contain chemicals that can leech into the water, especially trapped hose water left to bake in the sun. And, needless to say, consuming such chemicals from the hose over time could be harmful.

I’m Outside and Thirsty – Is Hose Water Safe to Drink? It Could Be!

So, before reaching for the hose this summer, make sure you take time to answer the question: is hose water safe to drink at your home?

1. Does your home have a quality water source – public or well? If you don’t know, having someone help you with a water inspection could be a good first step.
2. Is your hose rated for drinking water (many aren’t) or do you at least have a lead-free hose bib? It only takes a few seconds to detach the hose from the spigot and you can usually get safer drinking water directly from the faucet than from the hose.

Are you looking for an expert plumber in Rockville, MD, or in the surrounding Baltimore-Washington corridor? Heil Plumbing offers a range of comprehensive and reliable plumbing services, from water heater repair in Baltimore County to hydro jetting in Columbia, MD, and sewer line repair in Rockville, MD. We’ve seen it all.

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Heil Plumbing is a family-run company owned by a third-generation master plumber in Jessup, MD. We can help you with a full range of plumbing services, including toilet installation and repair, leak detection and pipe repair, water heater repair and installation, faucet repair and installation, drain cleaning, water treatment, and more.