FINCHforum

I realize that most bottled water is tap water anyway, but I still find myself using it for my birds. It's getting ridiculous to keep up with the cost and making sure we recycle the bottles. So would tap water be fine then? Should I add anything additional to it to make it healthier for the birds since it's coming straight from the tap? Thanks in advance!

I have only ever used tap water for all my birds, as well as in hand-feeding formula, and so far no problems. I drink it, the cats drink it, and the fish live in it. We live by Lake Michigan, though, and probably have better than average tapwater, so it's your call. If your local water doesn't taste good to you it's probably not too good for the animals either.

slwatson

Hi Stacie,

I use tap water as well.
That said, we have very good quality water in Calgary.

If your concerned about your tap water, and bottled water becomes cost prohibitive, have you considered a Brita filter on your tap?

I use tap water for myself and all my pets. When I had my aquarium set up, I used RO water for that. I think Helen was using a Brita filter for her birds.

slwatson

Stacie, I know the feeling. Our tap water smells of chlorine. We dont even drink it here. So I solved the bottle and expense issue by going to Lowes and buying (four) 5 gallon water barrels. Initial investment was 16 dollars per barrels.

However when you return the empty barrel, they give you a fresh full 5 gallon barrel for 6 dollars ( 1.25 a gallon). We go thru four a month

We got this used water dispenser on craiglist for 10 dollars to easily dispense it into clean 1 gallon jugs to carry in the birdroom.

Our set up looks like this and since we use about (1) 5 gallon barrel a week.....cost per month is 27dollars w/tax roughly. And that with us drinking it too. Dispenser gives hot and cold water. No plastic bottles to recycle.

I use a Brita pitcher specifically for my birds.

I pay 69c to 99c per gallon of distilled water here (I use it for a indoor fountain). Drinking water is even cheaper.

That said, I have always used tap water for my pets and aquariums. If its good enough for me, its good enough for them. If it smells of chlorine, I let it sit 24 hours - the chlorine dissipates.

We get a lot of rain in Lancashire UK and I have just acquired a water butt so my birds now get fresh rainwater.

Thanks for all of your replies. We went though a horrible drought last summer (it had actually been building up for about five years prior). It was bad enough that we had to add treated waste water to our lakes to have enough drinking water for the city. So I stopped drinking our water around that time. Last spring we had tons of rain, and they stopped using waste water, so it's probably safe. I honestly haven't tried it since the drought.

We used to have a Brita filter on the tap, but had to remove it. I've always wanted to get a water dispenser though. Thanks for all of the suggestions!

slwatson

Hi Stacie,

I don't think you have to worry about the drought now girl. From what I'm seeing on the news, it's the exact opposite.

What I'd be worried about now, is that with the flooding, the drinking water, may become contaminated with sewage waste, so if I were you, I'd stick to bottled water for a while yet (for both your family and your pets ).

slwatson

Doesn't your water come through a treatment plant first? Surely it's not being drawn directly out of the lake ...

If you don't live in Michigan, you can usually rely on what the water plant people tell you. If they say don't drink it, then there's a problem.

That thing in Flint is REALLY unusual and I still can't figure out how they thought they were going to get away with it.

lovezebs

You're exactly right! Luckily, we're not getting hit with flooding...yet. Houston is getting it really bad!

Sojourner

The waste water was being treated, then put into lakes, then that water was treated also. I still couldn't bring myself to drink it though....just grossed me out.

The Flint situation is terrible...our city leaders did a great job making sure ours was handled correctly.

I use a Britta pitcher. The same Britta filtered water that we drink is what the birds get.
Instead of chlorine my water has chloramine (?) which does not outgas from water by letting it sit. It has to be chemically neutralized or removed with a filter media from the water.
I figure since I am filtering my drinking water it isn't much more of an effort to fill a couple jugs for the birds.

ac12

I looked at all of the options and I think it would be easier for me to go with a Brita pitcher too...I'm getting one today