No passwords, no registration, no paywalls, no popups, no AI

As an Amazon Associate & eBay Partner we earn from affil links

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

Search our quarter-million Q&As

Home of the finishing HOTLINE since 1989

-----

Safety

I'd like to know if it's acceptable and safe to use demineralized water instead of potable water on emergency eye washes or is it too aggressive? Some plumbing codes require potable water and in these areas it would require an approval.

Wayne Bloch
- Reading, Pennsylvania

In general demineralized water will be fine but not always.

Potable water is, simply stated, water that is considered safe to drink by prevailing standards.

Demineralized water is water with the minerals removed. This does not mean that the water is bacteriologically safe.

Demineralized water would not be potable if it contained deadly bacteria in quanitities that are likely to cause disease.

If your demineralized water is bacteriologically safe then I would consider it to be suitable for an emergency eyewash station.

In the best of all worlds you would take sterile, deminerilizeded water and add some electrolytes and a buffer. Check with your eye doctor for details.

John Holroyd
- Elkhorn, WI

Sorry! Finishing.com is temporarily Read-Only.
Ted Mooney is retiring but I have several offers to take it over.
We're working hard to make sure we find it the best new home.

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: