# Would liquid water from another planet be drinkable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 2, 2019, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900 "2019-04-02T01:41:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/1 "2019-04-02T01:41:40Z")
Assuming, of course, it’s free of microbes, bacteria, and other assorted microscopic beasties? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/2 "2019-04-02T01:54:23Z")
> [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](#): > > Assuming, of course, it’s free of microbes, bacteria, and other assorted microscopic beasties? Well it might have dangerous non-biological contaminants (water dissolves a lot of stuff), but other than that, it would be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/3 "2019-04-02T01:55:19Z")
Why wouldn’t it be? It’s the same chemical compound. As long as it’s pure H2O without potentially toxic dissolved minerals or compounds it should be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/4 "2019-04-02T02:00:43Z")
No possible single answer. Sure, it would be drinkable if it was pure H[sub]2[/sub]O. But the planet could have a suboptimal amount of other things for human health. Perclorates. Lead. Mercury. Arsenic. Ammonia. Any non-organic nasty substance that can firm on Earth can form on another planet. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/5 "2019-04-02T02:08:22Z")
Oh, and I didn’t think to mention that the vast majority of water _on Earth_ isn’t drinkable. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/6 "2019-04-02T02:19:28Z")
> [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](#): > > Assuming, of course, it’s free of microbes, bacteria, and other assorted microscopic beasties? Only with a very very very long straw. ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/7 "2019-04-02T02:30:03Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Only with a very very very long straw. Very good! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/8 "2019-04-02T03:11:11Z")
> [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](#): > > Assuming, of course, it’s free of microbes, bacteria, and other assorted microscopic beasties? It is virtually assured that there will be no “microbes, bacteria, and other assorted microscopic beasties” that are in any way compatible with Earth life beyond being able to break down simple carbohydrates or simple lipids. Any alien microorganisms are highly unlikely to be able to colonize a human being beyond a topical infestation. As **Colibri** says, pure H[SUB]2[/SUB]O is purified of all toxic elements and compounds, it should be potable regardless of the source. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/9 "2019-04-02T03:50:07Z")
“Liquid water”? ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/10 "2019-04-02T04:19:07Z")
What if conditions favored a high percentage of Deuterium? ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/11 "2019-04-02T04:25:02Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > “Liquid water”? I’ll have my Antarean brandy on the rocks, please. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/12 "2019-04-02T04:42:36Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > What if conditions favored a high percentage of Deuterium? Heavy water is only mildly toxic. [ThoughtCo](https://www.thoughtco.com/can-you-drink-heavy-water-607731): > [@Anne Marie Helmenstine](#): > > For mammals, replacing 20% of your water with heavy water is survivable (although not recommended); 25% causes sterilization, and about 50% replacement is lethal. Other species tolerate heavy water better. For example, algae and bacteria can live using 100% heavy water (no regular water). So you’d need to live on it for a little while before it became a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/13 "2019-04-02T05:25:15Z")
Don’t worry–if you have a deuterium problem, [these guys](https://www.ddcenters.com/) can help you. (Coincidentally, run entirely by dodgy dudes.) ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/14 "2019-04-02T05:58:47Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > What if conditions favored a high percentage of Deuterium? Or ice-nine? (I know it’s from a book that I haven’t read, but am familiar with the concept.) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/15 "2019-04-02T13:24:29Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Or ice-nine? > > (I know it’s from a book that I haven’t read, but am familiar with the concept.) Evidently not, since ice-9 isn’t liquid, as specified in the OP.😉 Also, fictional water is not really drinkable. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/16 "2019-04-02T13:24:44Z")
In Arthur C. Clarke’s book _2061; Odyssey Three_, an astronaut drinks water made from melted comet ice. The only result is a case of diarrhea. I personally wouldn’t drink untreated comet ice. It’s _known_ to harbor other, possibly toxic chemical compounds, including ammonia and (IIRC) cyanides. But Clarke evidently thought they’d be too diluted to cause problems. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/17 "2019-04-02T13:25:42Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Oh, and I didn’t think to mention that the vast majority of water _on Earth_ isn’t drinkable. Oh, it’s drinkable. It’s just not good for long-term sustainment of life. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/18 "2019-04-02T13:28:20Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Only with a very very very long straw. “Here: if you have a planet, and I have a planet, and I have a straw — There it is. That’s a straw, see? Watch it. — my straw reaches across the stars, and starts to drink your planet, I drink your planet! Thhhp, I drink it up!” I can already see bottled Space Water on grocery store shelves and in hipster cafes. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/19 "2019-04-02T13:31:17Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > Oh, it’s drinkable. It’s just not good for long-term sustainment of life. For humans. For animals with better salt-excretion systems, like marine mammals, seabirds, sea turtles, and fish, it’s fine. (Although some of them don’t drink seawater much, getting most of the water they need from their food.) ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900/20 "2019-04-02T13:33:03Z")
Straws are bad for the planet [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-liquid-water-from-another-planet-be-drinkable/831900.md?page=2)