DEAR DIANA

"Thank you for telling us that the water tanks of airlines are not cared for. I work on an oil tanker and all ship water is tested and the tanks have a very special coating. We do not just take water on in any port. There is so much that can go wrong. Most seamen will tell you that when they fly to meet their ships, they almost always get sick. And when someone new comes on the ship most of us keep a little space at first because often within a week they are good and sick from something they caught on the flight. It seems odd to me that there are laws on plants, laws on goods, laws on animals, laws on money, laws on laws, but no place do I see a law about water quality on airplanes or even about people flying when they are sick. I guess enough people got sick according to the newspapers, so the EPA is now waking up. Do we really have hope?" --Vince

DIANA RESPONDS

Dear Vince,

I hope so.

A recent random sampling of airplane drinking water revealed a shocking statistic: the tap water on one in eight planes had harmful bacteria including coliform and E. coli.

Consequently, the Environmental Protection Agency has directed some airlines to test their own water, only once a year per aircraft, though.

There have never been any regulations for potable water on planes.

The EPA now says it plans to regulate airplane water. But first--they plan to take samples from 169 flights over the next two years. This drop in the bucket hardly constitutes an effective investigation. There are more than 169 flights landing every two hours at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.

Though airline planes fly high and fast, airline regulations fly slow and low, if at all.

Thirty years ago when my stewardess uniform had a mini skirt and bowler hat, I asked a Pan Am mechanic how they treated the drinking water because it looked grey and I often saw floating particles in it.

The mechanic told me that "from time to time" he dumped in chlorine and bicarbonate of soda.

In my 1992 book Jet Smart, I first published my recommendation that passengers avoid drinking airplane water. It was more than the color, taste, and floating particles. It disturbed me to see our water tanks filled from hoses on runways round the world -- Bombay, Bangkok, Caracus -- wherever we landed.

DRY AIR CAUSES DEHYDRATION

The onboard water supply is a critical problem because all air travelers invariably suffer from dehydration due to the below-desert dryness in the cabin.

Alarmingly, no airline that I am aware of provisions adequate bottled water to hydrate everyone on board with, at the very least, a large glass of water per person per hour of flight.

Symptoms of dehydration include heart palpitations, memory loss, and badly-wrinkled skin.

Flight attendants have all experienced the debilitating effects of severe dehydration and, required to maintain their alertness and congeniality, must drink as much fresh water as they can to keep passengers safe and served -- and flight attendants get first dibs at the precious, limited onboard bottled-water supply.

So to meet the demand for water in the cabin, flight attendants sometimes re-fill empty bottles of purified water with airplane tap water. Amongst themselves, when flight attendants want to drink from an open bottle of purified water, for example, an Evian bottle, many will ask: Is that Evian or tap-ion?

Flight attendants also call tap water "Galley Spring."

A flight attendant told me confidentially, "If you serve it with plenty of ice and drink it right away, it tastes okay."

FAA OVERSIGHT

Do FAA responsibilities to make flying safe end with airworthiness issues (such as tail-fin integrity)?

Or does the FAA have a responsibility to the flying public to insure that airplane air and water are uncontaminated? (I have written extensively about the grave problems with airline air.)

Good air and water are minimal requirements for healthy survival.

Decades ago, I took on the mission to inform passengers, airlines, and the FAA about problems that jeopardize the wellness of all who fly.

Safety must be expanded to include the health of passengers and crew.

7 TIPS FOR SMART-CLASS PASSENGERS

1. Passengers wanting true bottled water should make sure that the seal on the airline's bottle is not broken.

2. Bring bottled water onboard as a backup in case the airline runs out.

3. Use your own water for personal hygiene, such as brusing your teeth.

4. Avoid airplane coffee and tea, which are made with the aircraft's contaminated water.

5. If you still choose to drink coffee or soft drinks, which are dehydrating, remember to drink extra water.

6. Post flight, continue drinking a lot of water for several days; this will help you get over jetlag.

7. Speak Out: Just as smoking on planes was finally banned, improvements can come about here, too, if we all speak out. Before you make your reservation, ask if there will be adequate purified water for everyone on board.