# Unsealed Bottle of Water Safe for How Long?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsealed-bottle-of-water-safe-for-how-long/350951>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 2, 2006, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsealed-bottle-of-water-safe-for-how-long/350951 "2006-04-02T16:07:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsealed-bottle-of-water-safe-for-how-long/350951/21 "2006-04-04T18:48:48Z")

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> [@Smeghead](#):
>
> Water is NOT sufficient to support bacterial growth alone. It’s possible there may have been some junk around the mouth of the bottle, but bacteria need nutrients other than water.

But what about backwash?

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**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsealed-bottle-of-water-safe-for-how-long/350951/22 "2006-04-04T20:14:08Z")

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[QUOTE=Smeghead]  
Water is NOT sufficient to support bacterial growth alone. It’s possible there may have been some junk around the mouth of the bottle, but bacteria need nutrients other than water.  
[/QUOTE]

So what is your explanation? That water was FOUL.

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**Author:** ![MFIL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@MFIL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MFIL)\
**Post date:** [April 4, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsealed-bottle-of-water-safe-for-how-long/350951/23 "2006-04-04T21:32:15Z")

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[QUOTE=Happy Wanderer]  
So what is your explanation? That water was FOUL.  
[/QUOTE]

My understanding is that saliva is the cause of the problem. Saliva caught between the cap and the bottle will start to generate odor after a while.

Try not to drink directly from the bottle and the water will last for ages.

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