At room temperature, how long would it take a pint sized glass of water to become undrinkable?

Question

At room temperature, how long would it take a pint sized glass of water to become undrinkable?

Answer 1

Undrinkable as in contaminated?  Well with just dust I guess it depends on how thirsty you are.  There isn't much in the air you breath that is going to poison your water.

Answer 2

I used to keep a glass of water on the table all the time so it often sat over night or 12 hours and was just fine.  I quit when the cat started pulling it over.

Answer 3

Room temperature is a bit too vague.

In the tropics, it is likely to become undrinkable faster that in temperate regions.

Most people have a glass of water by their bedside overnight. AND is is often covered (like a carafe of wine).

So It is fairly safe to assume that 6 - 10 hours will be a safe margin. After this, most of the dissolves gasses will have dissipated and the water will taste "stale".

Their is also the risk of airborne contamination, which is a VERY variable problem!!!!

Answer 4

it would probably take close to a week maybe, but it will not be contaminated it will be stale and that open it up to bacteria to grow and harm but not kill you.

Answer 5

It really depends upon a few factors:

- What impurities are in the water that bacteria could use as food.

- What bacteria are in the air that contacts the water.

A common pint of tap water from a typical Western country (the only ones I have much experience with) would, in all likelihood, evaporate before it became unhealthy to drink.