Disney Water! Sulfur vs chlorine????

[headwithfire]

We (Myself, Husband, DS, and Mother) just returned from a wonderful stay at the Villa's at WL. We normally stay at OKW.
When at OKW the water just smelled and tasted like pool water and we just drank bottled water, etc
This time at VWL, the water smelled of sulfur. As soon as your turned on the faucet you could smell it. By about the 5th day DS (5) broke out in a rash. He does have sensitive skin to start with.
I tried to be proactive and wash all of our clothes before we came home. We had every piece of clothing washed then put in a space bag the next day. When we can home the clothes smelled of sulfur even though they had been washed and dryed and with a dryer sheet. So now I am rewashing everything.

I guess this is a vent and a question, does each resort or general area have their own water supply?
Anyone else have an issue with this?

Good news, NO bed bug issues but I still kept everything in bags!

 

[loveofamouse]

While I haven't stayed at that resort, I am from Fl and can say it's not uncommon for the water to switch "taste." Primarily, it's a chlorine taste. Occasionally, it can smell of sulfur. I will say Ive never experienced the clothes coming out of the wash smelling that way, esp with scented soaps and dryer sheets. Maybe the smell was just a mix of your home water's chemicals mixing with new chemicals making for an unkindly odor. For your child's rash, from dealing with my dd's bad eczema, I can say that MANY things can cause a rash reaction. A rash is just the immune system reacting and it doesn't necessarily have to be directly from contact. It could have been a food he ate. Sometimes, small minute ingredients can cause reactions. I knwo a woman who's daughter has no other food allergies but her skin reacts if she eats green jelly beans. Weird, huh? lol.

 

[paul436]

I always thought of it as "Florida water". I thinks it's the same at the other Orlando resorts. I'm a little spoiled here in NYC as our tap water is as good as any bottled water. But Florida water is practically undrinkable. If it's iced well, I found I can stand it. But if it's anything but ice cold, I can't drink it. So, I don't think it's a WDW problem so much as a Florida problem. :shrug:

 

[minniemickeyfan]

I have noticed that the water tends to worse in MK than at the other parks or at Pop where we stay often-I don't notice it much there.
Isn't where they wash all the laundry behind the MK? I wonder if they do anything to the water before they wash all linens and towels?

 

[Atomicmickey]

Remember--municipal water anywhere in the United States is more tightly regulated than any bottled water.

The idea that bottled water is better is a total myth, and a marketing scam. With bottled water, you never know what you're going to get.

When traveling in a foreign country, I drink bottled water, though.

Different areas have different tasting water, but that's about it. I know that people who are not from Florida do complain about the taste--but the cleanliness/healthfulness of it is not in question.

For my part, I just drink it when it's there, even though it does have a different taste.

I second the notion that it's something with the chemicals/treatment in your area mixing with the Florida water. Or--perhaps, again, it's just a smell/feel that you're not used to.

Either way, one wash at home and you're all back in business.

 

[Master Yoda]

Remember--municipal water anywhere in the United States is more tightly regulated than any bottled water.

The idea that bottled water is better is a total myth, and a marketing scam. With bottled water, you never know what you're going to get.

When traveling in a foreign country, I drink bottled water, though.

Different areas have different tasting water, but that's about it. I know that people who are not from Florida do complain about the taste--but the cleanliness/healthfulness of it is not in question.

For my part, I just drink it when it's there, even though it does have a different taste.

I second the notion that it's something with the chemicals/treatment in your area mixing with the Florida water. Or--perhaps, again, it's just a smell/feel that you're not used to.

Either way, one wash at home and you're all back in business.

So very true. It is no coincidence that the appearance of the myth that you need to drink 8 glasses of water per day came about at the same time that they started bottling it and selling it for $2-$5 a bottle.

In regards to municipal water supplies they do change from location to location, most notably the mineral content of the base source. This is what can make people feel sick when they drink tap water from a different source. But regardless of that all municipal water is perfectly safe to drink in spite of what the companies bottling water would like you to believe.

To the OP's question.....As far as I know the sulfur smell should not have been there. You will typically get a sulfur smell from untreated well water and as far as I know untreated well water should not be coming out of any guest accessible taps.

 

[wendysue]

We too have had the sulfur smell from the tap water at both CBR and Pop. We usually have a cooler with bottled water, but I do drink the tap water as well. The clothes I washed last Friday at Pop had a slight sulfur smell as well when I unpacked them Saturday night. It's just Florida. Have smelled it at other resorts as well.

 

[loveofamouse]

Remember--municipal water anywhere in the United States is more tightly regulated than any bottled water.

The idea that bottled water is better is a total myth, and a marketing scam. With bottled water, you never know what you're going to get.

When traveling in a foreign country, I drink bottled water, though.

Different areas have different tasting water, but that's about it. I know that people who are not from Florida do complain about the taste--but the cleanliness/healthfulness of it is not in question.

For my part, I just drink it when it's there, even though it does have a different taste.

I second the notion that it's something with the chemicals/treatment in your area mixing with the Florida water. Or--perhaps, again, it's just a smell/feel that you're not used to.

Either way, one wash at home and you're all back in business.

True. It's just as safe, just different minerals. It's all a matter of personal taste. Currently, we are living in VA. I HATE the tap water here! I want my FL water! lol But I know it's just cause the taste is not what I'm used to. In fact, when we first moved, I couldn't even stomach the water cold. The chlorine just seemed so strong. Now, I can drink it without much issue. I knwo when I go back home for visits, the FL water is going to taste strange to me cause my mouth will be used to the VA water. Honestly, there's some bottled waters that I can't stand like Dasani and Aquafina. bleh!:hurl:

 

[MaryJaneP]

Water at MK always smells odd. SInce my first visit in 1976. In stays at Contemporary and Poly, the aroma (smells like sulfur) is nearly overwhelming. Family reunion this past spring at MK (Contemporary, WL, FW, BLT) and everyone talked about the water's "unique" scent. None of us broke out in a rash, though. At least nobody mentioned any rashes.

 

[Master Gracey 5]

I've never had a sulfur smell, but Florida water is definitely different from home. I've even gone so far as to remark the difference in water when arriving at the airport. To me, its another indication that I'm finally back at Disney!

 

[COProgressFan]

I also want to chime in, and comment that this is simply "Florida water". Since my first visit to Florida in the 1980's, there has always been a difference between water from Florida and water up north. Florida water does tend to have a distinct sulfur-like smell and taste. This can be tasted both at WDW and elsewhere in the region. Of course, native Floridians will tell you they don't really notice it.

Also, I have found that it can vary from location to location (depending on filtration) and also can be based on time of year. So that could explain some of the variation between resorts.

 

[watersource123]

I went to the MK today and the tap water was undrinkable--like every gulp was a shudder of disgust. After doing some research, it's clear that No potable drinking water in the USA should taste like sulfur coming out of the faucets--its against the rules--but Disney stands to lose millions to public water.

Disney found a solution to this problem by buying the the local utility company, Reedy Creek Energy Services.

Disney has all the power to improve the water, and has a huge profit disincentive to do so.

They are letting your free water stink to make you spend more money on other stuff, specifically $3.50 for a small bottle of water.

 

[Minthorne]

I went to the MK today and the tap water was undrinkable--like every gulp was a shudder of disgust. After doing some research, it's clear that No potable drinking water in the USA should taste like sulfur coming out of the faucets--its against the rules--but Disney stands to lose millions to public water.

Disney found a solution to this problem by buying the the local utility company, Reedy Creek Energy Services.

Disney has all the power to improve the water, and has a huge profit disincentive to do so.

They are letting your free water stink to make you spend more money on other stuff, specifically $3.50 for a small bottle of water.

Disney will give you a free cup of filtered ice water at any quick service that have fountain soda. There goes all that profit.

 

[King Racoon 77]

Doesn't Coke pay Disney a stipend every year to ensure that the "free fountains" taste funny so as to increase sales of Dasani water and Cola products ?

At least that is what i read on the Interwebs.

 

[Master Yoda]

Doesn't Coke pay Disney a stipend every year to ensure that the "free fountains" taste funny so as to increase sales of Dasani water and Cola products ?

At least that is what i read on the Interwebs.

Would the title of site you read that on by chance have the words "wars", "info" or "truth" in it?

 

[King Racoon 77]

Would the title of site you read that on by chance have the words "wars", "info" or "truth" in it?

I would reply but then this thread will have to be moved into a dark dark place ...

 

[TiggerDad]

I would reply but then this thread will have to be moved into a dark dark place ...

Threads this old should be moved to a dark dark place.

 

[Micro prof]

I went to the MK today and the tap water was undrinkable--like every gulp was a shudder of disgust. After doing some research, it's clear that No potable drinking water in the USA should taste like sulfur coming out of the faucets--its against the rules--but Disney stands to lose millions to public water.

Disney found a solution to this problem by buying the the local utility company, Reedy Creek Energy Services.

Disney has all the power to improve the water, and has a huge profit disincentive to do so.

They are letting your free water stink to make you spend more money on other stuff, specifically $3.50 for a small bottle of water.

You are pretty wrong here. Unless you put in a filtration system to get rid of the smell, water from the Floridan aquifer (which would include Disney and all around the area - including Florida, parts of Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi) can be subject to the sulfur smell due to decomposition of organic material and presence of sulfur-producing bacteria that are present in the region resulting in high levels of sulfate production. This is what you are smelling if you turn on a tap in Florida that uses water from this aquifer (not just Disney) that does not have a system attached to it to remove the sulfate (and resulting smell). Reedy Creek has levels that range a bit above 50 mg/L to as low as 0.2 mg/L; EPA limits are 250 mg/L so they are well below acceptable levels...so...not "against the rules" as you claim.
Disney CAN remove the smell but the cost of putting in and maintaining a filtration system to handle all of the water that Disney uses as it pulls water from the aquifer (~15-17 million gallons per DAY from, as I recall, 4 pumping stations) would be immense to cover all the "tap" water for all properties. They can put filters on all taps that might be used for drinking water but even that would be quite expensive and require constant changing of the filters and be a lot of work...when most is used to wash hands, flush toilets, and showers. They do have filters at restaurants to filter water used for making drinks but they are not going to do it everywhere. If it really bothers you, YOU can purchase a water filter system to bring with you for drinking water.
Also, Disney created the Reedy Creek Improvement District when they started to develop WDW as a means of controlling what happens in the area. They didn't "buy" the local utility company - they created and developed it, long ago.

 

[HMFan999]

Well, since this thread was brought up from the depths, shout out to Rob Plays for this info vid:

 

[macefamily]

It's definitely the Florida H2O. I can smell it while showering down there. While dining at Whispering Canyon last visit, I had to ask the server to bring extra lemon to mask the taste of the FL water. The California Grille uses bottled water which is nice. Other places filter the water which seems to help a little bit.