Karen Writes:
I have a home water distiller. How long is the water stored in glass bottles, safe for drinking?
Hi Karen, thanks for writing in.
Distillation of water is an effective way to ensure most chemical and biological contaminants are left behind. It is an easy and fast way to treat water in your own home for drinking and cooking.
When purchasing store bought bottled water, a reputable manufacturer will ensure that the water is completely disinfected before bottling. Most will add a disinfectant like ozone to the process, because it is a powerful disinfectant. The bottle is then sealed and any remaining ozone quickly converts to oxygen shortly after that. It’s this disinfection/sealing process that allows bottled water to be stored indefinately.
The process you describe will allow for some interaction with the environment in the glass bottle. Because there is no trace disinfectant left in your water, it could leave it open for propagation of bacteria. In this case, you water should be consumed within the same amount of time that food can last in the fridge, within a week or two. Any longer and it could turn stagnant.
If you would like to produce water that would last longer for storage, you could follow a pasteurization technique as you would with producing home canned goods. Using heat on a sealed bottle in the proper technique would ensure any bacteria allowed to enter the bottle is killed, and would allow you for longer storage of your water.
I hope this answered your question. If you would like further clarification or want to ask another question, please do not hesitate to write in again.
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