Point being I don’t think that the mold in the pitcher is a Brita problem I think it is a pitcher/filter problem. This effect was not possible from other source than Brita. I’m very healthy, haven’t been sick in over 3 years. I have been unwittingly making myself sick and given myself sinus infection after sinus infection. It was Black. I can’t believe he was made so ill from the water he was drinking. I have a large Brita system that we keep on the kitchen counter and refill daily. I found several of these little black bits left behind on the towel. There is a reason why municipal water is chlorinated, because when it sits in the pipes (or your counter), bacteria will grow. Even better, Brita filters can now be recycled thanks to … BRITA water filter carafes with gravity filtration offer generally higher contact time of impurities with the activated carbon, which increases the filter performance and lifetime. My father contracted a major stomach illness months ago so I began to look at everything in our kitchen. Well this time, it has been really hot lately. My pee started to look metallic and oily.. stopped using the filter for my cups of tea and I’m back to normal. Conclusively, our Brita is only a very expensive water holder, bacteria producer, and odor reducer. Today after finally feeling well and had a regular bowl movement I decided to actually test this theory after checking every single thing I did and ingested. Bit worrying really as they were not visible to the naked eye when the water was poured out into a glass. The filter is changed religiously and I sanitize the container regularly. If you don’t want to have this unpleasant experience, rinse the bottle filter thoroughly in a strong stream of water for some seconds. Yesterday I had a bladder infection that included blood. https://www.teageek.net/blog/2009/07/dont-make-sun-tea-plus-a-reward-for-a-skilled-reader/. I put it in the dishwasher, but it didn’t come out clean. He only drinks water from the filter whereas i only drink tap water. Guess I have to find a better brand and do some research. The most obvious way to detect a dirty Brita filter is if it turns green. I made sure I washed my hands frequently, took vitamins, ate more fruits and vegetables, and drunk more water. I have not used the pitcher now since yesterday and I feel a little better. Then I came home and drank from my Brita pitcher and I immediately bloated and cramps. I’m sorry you got sick, but it’s not all due to the product, it’s also how you use it. We have been using various activated carbon filters for our fridge water ever since we purchased it a couple of years ago. Filter life also depends where its stored (like the fridge). It had a very strong chemical smell. https://www.teageek.net/blog/2009/07/dont-make-sun-tea-plus-a-reward-for-a-skilled-reader/. Brita Removes some of this chlorine and bacteria or molds will grow in the filtered water if given the time and conditions it likes. My friend came over today and told me I had mold in my Brita Jug. One thing why I bought the pitcher is that I would remember to drink a good share of water during the day. How To Drain A Water Heater Without Drain Valve, How to Install a Whole-House Water Filter on a Well. I’m highly suspicious of the Brita pitcher because my wife and I both got sick as soon as we began drinking from it and we both got well once we stopped. My husband pulled out the water filter, put the plastic bypass plug in (so glad I kept that thing now), dumped out all the old ice, and ran about 5 gallons of water through the fridge system. Yesterday, without thinking, I filled it with water. (Mainly because I drink SO much water he was sick of paying for the bottled kind. ) But unfortunately human memory is short and after moving home, because water was very unpalatable and chlorinated bought Brita again. I checked carefully whole jug,it was not signs of mould or anything on it. I am HIGHLY allergic to silver/silver nitrate. My GI and nervous systems were poisoned by moldy water. I continued to drink a lot of water from the pitcher, between a half gallon to a gallon every day. I’ll also drink it too. Brita seriously needa to fix this problem because as far as I’ve read in previous comments their filter has caused numerous health problems. She usually drinks poland springbut we ran out this week. This is what you should pay the most attention to. 1-I don’t have a Brita anything 2-I don’t feel this way when I travel for work 3-My teens aren’t sick so clearly it’s not contagious p-t-p HOWEVER. I’m a bit prone to gastrointestinal stuff, so I just put up with it and thought it would go away in a day or two. Significant bloating, frequent (and yes, entertaining) loud flatulence, major fatigue, sudden depression, super soft Hulk green BMs …every time, no fail – multiple times a day. I think I am going to start returning them to WM, though. Brita pitchers are quite easy to care for, and you don't even need to wash them every day. About a week and a half ago I started getting sick. I am a graduate student and lost two days of study time, just rolling in bed with this problem. Stomach felt really bad, I was lethargic and there were bouts of diarrhea. Original review: Dec. 28, 2020. Loves vegetables and rarely eats junk/candy. I also bought 2 of the expensive blue filters to go with it because they’re advertised as removing lead. I will not use the brita water bottle filter again. Honestly, last year I wasn’t feeling so good. One day, after using the filter for two weeks, I noticed an odd smell and taste after drinking half the bottle. Due to the process of water filtration, a pitcher might need replacement of the filter and cleaning. Although I will not be receiving compensation for my year of suffering. Bong!, then it occurred to me why I felt sick most of the time…the water system. Brita pitchers are less expensive, easy-to-use, and you can store water in them for an extended period. I have, never been able, to drink filtered, or bottled water. I’m throwing it away right now going to take a hammer to it. It is clean city water from the tap. In less than a week, her symptoms subsided and her dental pain was completely gone. I always keep it in a cold fridge. The Brita bottle filters are SUPPOSED to be changed every week, no wonder you got sick if you left it twice that long. please everyone, take care of how you use your Brita Filter. The interesting thing is that 3 days ago I also developped sinus problems after starting off with a sore throat. Just purchased the travel bottle for Christmas. Green Brita pitcher is an indication that algae are present. so, i hope they will keep me from getting sicker now. Has anyone else experienced something similar? well, my tummy started feeling better, but it’s because of this: i use a Neti Pot and get my water for the Neti Pot from the BRITA FAUCET FILTER! I always washed my water bottle but did not think to take top and filter apart unless I was changing the filter. But I ran out of store bought water and decided to use it after not using it for quite a while and there was a moldy taste to my water I looked at the filter and sure enough there was mold growing in it. I haven’t really had any major health issues with it that I can pin point, but I have noticed it just makes me feel “funny” Like almost dizzy and lethargic and maybe a bit of an upset stomach. Please! Thank you so much for blogging your experience. The diarrhea stopped and after losing 23 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks, I began to get my appetite back very slowly and began feeling more and more normal again. There needs to be a class action suit. I went to my family doctor who ran numerous tests including urine, blood, stool, ultrasound, etc. Else, they would not work efficiently in removing impurities and contaminants. Turns out a Britain made me sick too. Thanks for sharing your experience. I am wondering if I should seek medical help? Thank you for this blog! For Longlast filters, it needs to be replaced every six months or 120 gallons. Washing your Brita pitcher prolongs its lifespan and eliminates any chances of bacteria and mildew entering your water. I dumped my filter in the kitchen garbage and tightly shut the lid. It and was just changed days before I noticed it again. My nausea was so severe she gave me a medication designed for chemotherapy patients. I did replace the filters on a timely basis and I kept cleaning the pitcher. So I through it away. Brita filter pitchers are amazingly useful to have in a home, especially in a place where tap water isn't drinkable. We never eat at restaurants, we cook all our food at home and take our lunches with us to work every day. When I read of what some people do I am not surprised with mold and bacteria problems. Re my previous 2 posts:- And The only thing I had changed was the drinking of Brita water. This all started with that nasty water in the Brita pitcher. If it is just the pitcher or filter, that is a much easier problem to address. It’s since been bleached (and left unused) but I’m STILL feeling crap 5 days later! Had wondered about the water filter previously so changed the filter and cleaned out the jug a few weeks back (i even opened the old filter to check inside for mold but found nothing). There is a difference that is noticeable when using the Zero Water and the water tests 0. I didn’t know what was wrong because I was eating healthy and drinking plenty of water. I’m convinced this filter was/is spoiled so have just changed it to the new ones that don’t require the 15 min soaking. I got sick right away then I went to my daughters for 3 days and drank bottled water and got a little better. I recently had a colonoscopy and endoscopy with no significant issues. Well people, after my daughter moved back in and complained of having heartburn every single night since she’s been here , about 6 weeks, I decided to investigate WHY, and hoped I could resolve WHY I have had chronic vomiting and nausea, WHY my 6 yr old and 9 yr old have it. I’m seriously don’e for a while filtering my water, especially since we’ve also developed increasing and nonstop food intolerances for over 10 years, about the same time I decided we needed to filter our tap water. Getting rid of metal in my water and food solved my lifelong illness. i am on antibiotics for another bad sinus infection. Thank u! And often times it is. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'waterev_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_0',153,'0','0'])); You need to clean your Brita pitcher as soon as it gets dirty. You,re the only one who mentioned smelling smoke when there is none and I’ve had that same symptom (and cramps, fatigue, etc, etc) thought I was going crazy! I start feel sick again when I bought Brita filter three weeks ago.Stomach crack, lots of thick saliva, very hard to expectoration. Others (and my child) use it as a main drinking source, but like I said before I don’t. Upon googling ‘old brita filter sick’ I stumbled upon this website and various others confirming my susicions to be accurate…. It’s designed to last for years, providing you with odorless, filtered water that is safe and healthy to drink. However, it is essential to know how to clean them when the need arises. Yesterday was my one year anniversary of finding this e-conversation and figuring out what had made me sick for (two weeks short of ..) one year: Brita water filtration pitcher. This is to ensure that your water is safe for drinking. But now it all makes sense. In the past 3 days I’ve been rushing to the toilet with pain and diarrhea every 40 minutes or so. but it wasn’t until all that I had left to try was to stop using the water jug that my pain stopped. And now after reading this, I see clearly we were very poisoned from our under the sink Culligan filter at one of our old houses. Antifungals? Brita and most manufacturers recommend that you refrigerate a water filter. I bought the water filter and got stomach cramps so bad I put a jet nozzle in my arse and flew to the moon. Never again Brita. I had bought the brita filter water bottle and have been using it for about 2 years now. Why is water from my filter cloudy? Hi, If I leave the filtered on my counter it will develop yellow mold, black dots, and pink slime. Our a/c just broke. Standard Brita filters are also able to filter … If the filter … I have noticed black mold spores inside the rim and in between the spout and clear plastic container. I even made a list to see what I was eating or drinking that could be making me sick. No more nausea. Their governments don’t semester to put floride or alluminum in their water supply. Brita filters and bottled waters are excellent ways of preserving water. I am so thankful that I saw this site. So, in the end, you are drinking unsafe water. Of course, they will probably deny any problem, but I don’t want others to get sick. Taking the anti-nausea medication every 4 hours was the only way I could get through the day without extreme distress. I change the box filter at 40 gallons or so — it is getting pre-filtered water so it tends to make it to 60 gallons if I push it, but I had noticed growth from time to time, so I stick with 40 gallons. The symptoms were very mild at first and we didn’t associate our trouble to anything other than maybe a random “bug”. All with the BRITA pitcher. Thanks for reading. I do remember having cramps and bloating in the past with the old filters (now that I think about it) . I am so happy and starting to feel like my old self again. Use a non-abrasive dishwashing soap like Dawn to wash the pitcher. :/ I’m a junior in college and probably should’ve paid more attention to the Brita directions. British filters are horrible as are any filters that are left in a pitcher . These blemishes come in the form of mildew and algae on the exterior and inside the lid. Sadly we have a special tap with a filter from Brita that is meant to last a year but we havnt found a plumber willing to fit it yet. Thank you all for posting here. Sometimes sooner. No surgeries, no hospitalizations, no nothing. I was up all night with cramps and I had to urinate every hour. Brita claims they need to be replaced monthly not weekly that would be more expensive than bottled water. I believe the reason is because I don’t put it in the fridge. I have installed a Brita faucet filter AND drink water out of a Brita … But since I don’t mainly use it I did a courtesy thorough clean and always assumed others would upkeep or notice it. Ihave notice mold repeatedly on my brita filter. As if you wiped in a fishbowl. Probably my fault for not reading the replacement directions in the first place. Do your homework. I already drink Brita all day but decided to up my water intake to prevent dehydration. It’s a bit of extra work on the weekend but just the thought of that debris soaked filter sitting in my water scares me. They aren't at all intended to "purify" … Hi. The one we have is the screw-on to the faucet kind. Since we purchased the Brita pitcher in 2011, I will occasionally use the water from it for cooking -only-. New filter was rinsed few times one day earlier. Since using it I had terrible stomach pains making me run to the toilet, I became really worried not thinking about filter jug so went to doctors worried I might have got my IBS back that I’ve not had in over 30 years, the doctors were quite concerned and thus I have just finished multiple tests for bowel cancer which I’m pleased to say was all clear. For 3 months now I have had a serious sinus infection, tons of mucus, sore throat, cramps in my stomach, diarrhoea, no energy, no motivation, cough, cough, cough. A Brita water filter comes in a sealed pouch that will keep your new filter fresh and usable indefinitely when stored in a cool and dry place. The impurities bind to the carbon, while the water is filtered and becomes free from impurities. It is the first time I have gone this long without stomach pain and acid reflux in, literally, years. I smell it when I shower and even smell it when washing clothes. By cleaning, you will get rid of mildew, algae, and other microorganisms that may interfere with your filtered water. Its function is to provide clean and drinkable water. When I began having intense heartburn, stomach cramps, diarrhea, acid reflux, and constantly smelling “smoke” (smelled like a wildfire or leaky woodstove) I ascribed it to all the antibiotics wiping out my good gut flora. I’m so glad I finally realized what the cause of this was. The past month has been the worst nightmare of my entire life. I’m so glad I found this blog and also, it seems that I’m one of the lucky ones who got away with less serious symptoms. You may also notice that your filtered water contains some bacteria, although this is not easily seen. Thanks again to everyone who contributed to this post . What is Alkaline Water and is it Better for My Health? I lost so much fluid and I have pains I my back. Jay, I wish I had found your blog entry earlier. It was fresh spring water. Thank God I found your blog. Finally after 5 or 6 days I figured it out. For maximum drying, turn the pitcher upside down on a clean surface. I did replace the PURE2 filter in my fridge in March. But I have noticed the pink growth in the top tank sometimes, but nothing in the lower. I think some people, under certain circumstances, are or become sensitive to the charcoal. BAD idea… I didn’t think about the fact that sun and warmth would let things grow. I found out that I am allergic to chrome, stainless steal and, aluminum. Then I noticed that the water had a funny taste and smell. It makes sense now. The bumps are right where the water touched my lips. I could have mold inside the filter and not be aware of it as the filters last for months. I have been suffering from stomach pains, diarrhea sickness and bloating for the past week since using my new Brita filter jug, and I’m glad I found this blog because I felt sure the problem was due to the filtered water and now I’m convinced it is. The activated carbon is a large surface area that acts like a sponge to absorb and contaminant molecules as water passes through it. I had not been using the brita for awhile and never had any problems. I have missed tqo days of work so far and I hope I dont have to miss tomorrow.