A couple from China found something horrifying about the home they had just moved into. The couple were surprised that they had been drinking toilet water without knowing it for 6 whole months. It was quite horrific for the two of them when they discovered that the water they were drinking and thought was safe came from their new apartment’s toilet pipes.
Mr. Tan, a man who prefers to be referred to only as that and his unidentified girlfriend began experiencing strange health issues shortly after they moved into their new apartment in May. Both he and his girlfriend developed an unexplained cough and discomfort in their chest. Mr Tan even started to lose hair and have severe acne.
After moving into a rental property in Beijing, China the couple soon realized that they hadn’t paid a water bill in six months since they moved in. Despite not paying the water bill. the $1,400-a-month rental continued to receive water and that’s when he began to get suspicious. Mr. Tan then checked the water meters and found something curious. Even when the couple consumed water in the apartment, the water meter showed no signs of any increase in the numbers. They were confused further when the water meters remained unmoved even when they ran the taps.
However, the number on the grey water meter, clearly increased when the taps were on. The couple decided to call in a plumber. When they inspected the couple were stunned to find a mystery extra pipe that allegedly linked the tap and toilet water pipes.
Soon they realised they’d spent the past six months drinking, cleaning and cooking with toilet water. The plumber however fixed the pipework. Mr Tan immediately began claiming their damages from the rental firm they have been paying CNY 10,000 (£1,100) every month.
The unnamed company said tenants had the option to use either drinking water or water sourced from a nearby well by adjusting valves. But the couple claim they were never told this before moving in.
The rental firm said that residents who move into the apartments are given options between two different water supplies by adjusting valves.
The first is drinking water, or the second, is the water which comes from a nearby well. The water from the well is only meant to be used for flushing toilets or watering plants and not for domestic purposes like cooking or drinking. According to the rental firm the water well passed quality tests in March before the couple moved in May.