On 8/28/2012 6:05 PM, sf wrote:
> On Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:31:24 -1000, dsi1
> > wrote:
>
>> On 8/28/2012 6:52 AM, sf wrote:
>>> I still think you should throw that water dispenser out rather than
>>> take any chances with anyone's health. A friend is on steroids for 10
>>> years because of breathing in airborne mold and after watching what
>>> she's going through, I just don't think it's very smart to take a
>>> chance with the kind of mold that isn't edible.
>>
>> It's not an airborne mold. It's some kind of algae that is able to
>> survive at a high temperature. Kinda neat actually.
>>
>> We just ripped out the walls of my bathroom and put up new ones due to
>> water damage and black mold. My brother-in-law is familiar with the
>> stuff and just tore out everything. It was kind of hairy for a while.
>>
> The decision is up to you. You tore out bathroom walls due to black
> mold, but you resist throwing out a water dispenser. Out of sight,
> out of mind?
>

The harmful effects of black mold is well documented. That's not so with
cyanobacteria/blue-green algae. They are not the same so there's no
reason to treat them the same. My feeling is that I can clean out the
tank with a simple bleach shock treatment. I've never had any problem
with drinking the hot water. The bad taste comes strictly from the old
water from the bottle.