Study Shows Airplane Water Is Dirtier Than You Think

Above, an airliner being prepared for a flight. Photo by Armand Vaquer

Here's a YUCKY one for you!

After reading the following, I have to thank my lucky stars that I usually have a soft drink or bottled water while flying.

Condé Nast Traveler reported:

With hundreds and hundreds of passengers boarding, sitting, sleeping, and eating on them every day, airplanes can be dirty places.

But a new study shows it's not just the tray table or seat-back pocket that could be harboring germs and bacteria. The tap water on both major and regional U.S. carriers was found to be contaminated with varying levels of E. coli and coliform, according to the newly released 2019 Airline Water Study conducted by DietDetective.com and Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center.

"The quality of drinking water varies by airline, and many airlines have possibly provided passengers with unhealthy water," the study states. The water in question comes out of the airline taps in the galley and the lavatory—it's what passengers use to wash their hands and what most flight attendants use to brew the coffee and tea handed out during beverage service.

To read more, go here (if you dare).