Does Water Go Bad?

Is Bottled Water Still Safe To Drink After the Expiration Date?
https://www.stilltasty.com/questions/index/26/page:1



Question: I bought some bottled water to have stored away in case of emergency. The “best before” date on the plastic bottles has now passed. Is it still safe?

Answer: From a safety perspective, you have nothing to worry about.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, unopened commercially bottled water will keep safe indefinitely, as long as the bottles remain properly sealed and aren’t damaged.

After long-term storage, the bottled water’s appearance, smell or taste may change somewhat, but the water will still be safe to consume, says the FDA.

And while bottled water manufacturers are permitted to put expiration dates on their labels, these dates are meant to be indicators of quality, not safety.

It may be safe to drink, assuming it's still in the container! Modern plastic jugs of water are so thin that they tend to leak over time. Even the single-use water bottles are getting really thin and I suspect they won't last as I would like... I've given up on buying gallon jugs of water for anything other than short term use (like distilled for ironing.) All my long term water is in specifically designed opaque containers, although I do have quite a few cases of bottles for drinking, but I rotate through them so nothing is much more than a year old.

So if you're relying on gallon jugs of water, make sure you check your supply early and often!