Which US Airlines Have The Cleanest And Dirtiest Drinking Water?
September 18, 2019Stay in the know with exclusive industry news, click here and subscribe to our eNewsletter today!
The 2019 Airline Water Study from Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center and DietDetective.com ranks the safety of the onboard water of a dozen major airlines. This is probably not something most people think about. After all, doesn’t onboard drinking water come from water bottles?
Mostly, yes. But all airlines have huge onboard water tanks that are used for taps in the galley (mainly for making coffee and tea, and sometimes ice), for bathrooms, and, yes, can be used for drinking. There’s even an Aircraft Drinking Water Rule (ADWR) enforced by the EPA, which requires airlines to sample onboard water to test for coliform bacteria and E. coli, and flush and disinfect tanks four times per year (or once per year, if it’s tested more often).
The study ranks 11 major airlines and 12 regional carriers by a “Water Health Score,”which is based on 10 criteria including fleet size, the airline’s number of ADWR violations, positive E. coli and coliform water sample reports, and the airline’s willingness to answer to water-quality questions.
So, how is the water? Depends on which airline you’re flying.