Don’t be surprised if you pick a water bottle after a long and tiring day of travel and find it has passed the expiry date. You'll find that packaged drinking water bottles have an expiry date mentioned on their labels. It's not because the water goes bad. It's because of the use of plastic bottles.

Water, in its pure form, does not go bad as it is a naturally occurring compound. But, the contamination that affects its quality is a matter of concern. It is never a good idea to drink from expired plastic bottles as plastic can start leaching into the water over time or due to an increase in temperature, contaminating it with harmful chemicals such as antimony and bisphenol A (BPA).

According to a study from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), researchers found that participants who drank for a week from polycarbonate bottles -- the popular, hard-plastic drinking bottles -- and baby bottles showed a two-thirds increase in the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in their urine samples.

According to research, treated tap water is safe to consume for up to six months if stored well, while sparkling water is safe for 1 to 2 years. Tap water might start tasting odd if it gets mixed with the carbon dioxide in the air. Also, carbonated tap water tends to go flat after a while as gases in the water start evaporating. However, both tap water and carbonated water are considered safe for drinking for six months despite the odd taste if stored well.

Storing water is the most important part of saving it for a longer period. Identifying the amount to be stored and a cool and dry place are the preliminary steps. One should keep in mind that copper and steel vessels are ideal for long-term storage. For regular use, one can always opt for BPA-free plastic containers or glass bottles.

While filling containers with water, one should refrain from using pipes and fill it directly from the faucet after filtration. This way, contamination can be easily avoided.

If water is stored in gallons or drums, there should be a lid on at all times to avoid contact with air. Cleaning the containers along with the lid will further ensure good quality drinking water that is devoid of microbes.

For both long-term storage and regular use, filtration is a must. The easiest way is to bring it to a boil for around 15 minutes and let it cool. Most modern households use water purifiers nowadays.

However, regular servicing of reverse osmosis (RO) purifiers and changing candles biannually is crucial. Liquid bleaching is rare these days but has been a popular purification method in the past.

BPA exposure has been known to interfere with reproductive development in animals and has been linked with other cardiovascular diseases, immunity issues, and diabetes in humans.

We generally consume two kinds of water: surface water and groundwater. Surface water is usually supplied by local authorities and might have microbes in it. But groundwater (borewell water) is usually clean and should be stored properly for better use.

In our homes, tap water is the kind of water easily available to us. Most of us prefer storing water for difficult times. But have you ever wondered about the shelf life of tap water?

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