Woman shocked to learn she had been drinking wastewater for 5 years

(Dan Tri) - Recently, a woman in Shanghai (China) discovered that she had been drinking wastewater from a water purifier for 5 years. A seemingly simple installation error turned the water purifier into a "dirty water discharge machine".

The incident was only discovered a few weeks ago when Ms. Liu (Shanghai, China) decided to buy a water quality testing device, commonly known as a "TDS meter" (total dissolved solids).

The results shocked her: The water from the purifier had a TDS level of 600—twice as high as regular tap water. This meant that the water she thought was purified was actually dirtier than untreated water.

Puzzled by the unusual results, Ms. Liu decided to check the water filtration system again. After disassembling the machine, she discovered that the pipes at the back were installed upside down.

As a result, purified water was discharged directly into the sewer, while wastewater from the filtration process was piped into the drinking water tap every day. This meant that for the past 5 years, she had been drinking wastewater without knowing it.

The water purifier installer connected the wrong pipe (Photo: Baidu).

Ms. Liu said that in the past 6 months, she had been experiencing menstrual irregularities and recently, her doctor diagnosed her with signs of mild liver damage.

"I'm very worried. The wastewater could contain all kinds of harmful chemicals and bacteria, and I don't know how much it will affect my health," said Ms. Liu.

Liu admitted that there is currently no scientific evidence to prove that wastewater is the cause of her health problems. However, this does not lessen her frustration with the way the water purifier company handled the incident.

According to the South China Morning Post on March 25, after the incident was made public, an employee from Xiaomi - a water purifier manufacturer - visited Ms. Liu's home to check. This employee confirmed that a faulty pipe installation was the cause of this serious incident.

Liu said she has been drinking "wastewater" for the past five years due to this mistake (Illustration photo: SCMP/Shutterstock).

However, the company only resolved the problem by reinstalling the pipe correctly and replacing the filter for Ms. Liu.

Dissatisfied with this response, Ms. Liu was upset: "This device has never worked properly for even a single day. I have had to drink wastewater for 5 years. How are you going to compensate for my health?"

Additionally, the employee who installed the water purifier five years ago has now left the job, making it difficult to determine individual responsibility.

Ms. Liu's incident is not an isolated incident. In 2022, a family in Zhejiang province encountered a similar situation when the water purifier's pipes were installed incorrectly.

As a result, the family’s newborn baby boy drank milk mixed with wastewater for months without anyone noticing. Details of the incident were not disclosed by Chinese media, and it is unclear whether the victim’s family received compensation.

Such incidents have sparked a heated debate on social media about the responsibility of companies in ensuring the quality of products and services.

Many consumers in China have begun to check their water filtration systems themselves. Experts recommend that users should periodically check and maintain their water purifiers, especially the installed pipes, to avoid similar risks.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/doi-song/nguoi-phu-nu-soc-khi-biet-minh-uong-nham-nuoc-thai-suot-5-nam-20250326162952387.htm