Industry insights

Does Bottled Water Expire And How Can You Tell?

2 min read

By Matt Stimpson |  Published

A water cooler can give you the refreshing taste of pure-filtered, chilled water whenever you want it. But what about the bottled water itself – does it expire or go off? Does it have a use-by date? Will it get contaminated? These are all common questions people ask when they start using a water cooler for the first time, so let’s give you some answers.

Does bottled water expire?

Everything has an expiry date and bottled water is no different – even ours! To make sure you can enjoy its pure, fresh taste for as long as possible, each of our 18.9 or 13-litre water bottles arrive with a six-month expiry date – that should allow you to keep a few bottles in storage as well so you have a continuous supply.

What if it’s used after its expiry date?

It’s generally not a good idea to use the water bottle if it’s beyond its six-month expiry date. Though the water itself doesn’t expire, the plastic bottle can degrade over a longer time period which you might not be able to tell by looking at it, but it could affect the taste. If you have any expired, full bottles, we’ll collect them on your next scheduled delivery.

How long will a bottle last?

How much water you use will depend on how many people are using your water cooler. But together with a supply of bottled water, we can also keep you stocked up with 200ml disposable cups. Each of our 18.9-litre bottles will give you around 100 cups of water, so if your cooler is in a high-footfall area, you might be changing the bottle fairly regularly.

What does the water taste like?

All our filtered bottled water comes direct from our own spring in Shropshire and has a refreshing, pure, and delicately sweet taste with good, natural mineral content. Every bottle gives you water with a totally pure taste and no odour.

How long does the water stay fresh?

Once a bottle is opened and in use on your cooler, the water is best enjoyed 30 days. Your cooler is also designed so the water doesn’t come into contact with the air until it’s released from the taps, helping it maintain its freshness. But if there’s any water left in the bottle after 30 days, we recommend replacing it with a new bottle.

Does the cooler keep the water clean?

Your water cooler will arrive with you fully cleaned and sanitised, inside and out. Our ongoing service package also includes a deep clean and sanitisation process every six months by our qualified engineers to make sure the entire cooler is safe and the water never becomes contaminated. You can also adopt a regular schedule to clean your water cooler yourself between services.

So good, you should taste it!

So while our bottled water does have a shelf life for your safety to be aware of, we’re confident you and your staff, colleagues, and visitors will be drinking enough that it won’t be an issue for you.

For more information and to ask any questions about our water, contact the Customer Support team today on 01392 877172 or email us at hello@thirstywork.com – and ask about your free trial so you can taste our water for yourself.