Is airplane sink water drinkable?

To be extra safe, the CUNY researchers advised people never to drink water onboard a plane that does not come from a sealed bottle. They also said passengers should not drink coffee or tea brewed on their flight, and that they should even use hand sanitizer instead of washing their hands with onboard water.



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Most people consider water to be a basic necessity that should not be paid for when traveling by air. Health and safety standards in commercial aviation provide the opportunity for airlines to offer clean drinking tap water on flights, but the reality of the matter is that it is too risky to chance.

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According to an anonymous cabin crew member, travellers should not brush their teeth in a plane bathroom, using the water. The water on a plane all comes from the same water tank and it is not filtered, they told UK company, Sanctuary Bathrooms.

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An airplane bathroom does not use the water like a regular bathroom. Instead, it uses a vacuum system, and when it flushes it moves into a septic tank that is on the airplane. The pipes used are much smaller than regular plumbing pipes and they can be placed in any direction since they do not use gravity and water.

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The law requires airlines to disinfect and flush each plane's water tank four times a year.

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How dirty is the water on a plane? In 2004, the EPA randomly tested the water supply on 158 planes. Twenty tested positive for total coliform bacteria and/or E. coli—both indicators that other disease-causing pathogens could be present.

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But Vance Hilderman, chief technical officer of Afuzion, an aviation development and certification company, said Singer and I shouldn't worry. According to Hilderman, it's “100%” safe to drink tea, coffee and even water straight from the taps on modern airplanes in developed and well-regulated countries.

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Most of the sink water drains lead to an outlet port near the tail of the plane and the water evaporates mid-air if the plane is flying, while for some fleet types a very small amount is captured in separate containers on board. A lavatory Service Cart is used to drain the waste from the aircraft waste tank.

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Greywater is typically ejected from the plane while in flight via drain mast. This is an external vertical winglet on the airplane that is heated to prevent the water from freezing. The ejected water typically evaporates within the atmosphere.

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What happens if you flush a toilet's tank in an airplane while sitting on it? Absolutely nothing. Your arse might ache a bit afterwards. Stories about people being sucked through the toilet and flushed out the plane are urban legends.

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Don't use airplane bathroom water to wash your face (which you should do before putting anything on it).

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If you're on a long flight, brush after eating. You can freshen with mouthwash after waking up on an overnight flight. Or, if you have time during a layover, you can do your entire oral care routine as you normally would. Brushing teeth in an airport bathroom is not weird!

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To be extra safe, the CUNY researchers advised people never to drink water onboard a plane that does not come from a sealed bottle. They also said passengers should not drink coffee or tea brewed on their flight, and that they should even use hand sanitizer instead of washing their hands with onboard water.

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In this case, the aircraft will try to do it overland (not water) or away from populated areas, as it is the equivalent of dumping thousands of liters of petrol onto an urban area. The FAA mentions explicitly that any dumping can't occur under 2,000 feet.

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The simple answer is: that red liquid is a fire-retardant chemical that's color dyed so that it's easy to see from the ground and from the air. That helps firefighters see where it's going, and makes it easier to see where it's been dumped already.

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Boarding and While Onboard
Avoid caffeine, alcohol and soft drinks to prevent frequent trips to the bathroom. Consider limiting fluids before a flight. Travelers choosing this option should use caution to avoid dehydration, and be sure to re-hydrate upon arrival at the destination.

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Whereas larger airlines often hire dedicated cabin cleaners to tackle the aircraft between guests, “Generally on low-cost carriers, the flight attendants will have to clean the planes themselves,” says Catrina McGrail, a former flight attendant and creator of the 24 Hours Layover travel blog.

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It's a list of four things you definitely should NOT eat or drink right before hopping on a plane . . .
  • Salty foods. It's common for people to get dehydrated on planes, thanks to the dry air in the cabin. ...
  • Carbonated beverages. ...
  • Alcohol. ...
  • Coffee.


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  • Red Meat. Courtesy of Ethan Calabrese. ...
  • Coffee. Airplanes already dry up your body to begin with, so combined with the dehydrating properties in caffeine, you could easily develop a headache or become nauseous.
  • Alcohol. ...
  • Beans. ...
  • Apples. ...
  • Broccoli. ...
  • Carbonated Drinks. ...
  • Spicy Food.


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