I just found out that garden hoses are not to be used for drinking water. They can contain lead and other chemicals. I've always used a garden hose in the summer to refill water buckets for the dogs. Hoses made for RVs and campers specifically say "safe for drinking water." I looked at the packaging on garden hoses and there is a warning right on it. I was shocked when I found this out. Who reads the directions for a hose? I wonder how many people are aware of this?

There has been a thread on this subject before. I thought that if you cleaned out the hose (from sitting water) that it was okay to use?

One of our dogs always refused to drink the water out of the bowls when the kids would fill them from the hose. Obviously he knew something we didn't:)

Here is a link to a story in regards to garden hoses. I have used the white RV/Potable hoses for a few years since I found out about this.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=3369894&page=1&GMA=true

I would never make my dogs drink hose water. It tastes just awful.

Hmmm..I have drank from the hose since I was a
kid. I AM 60YR OLD!! If it good enough for me,
it is good enough for my pets.

I agree...where does it stop...I too have drank from the water hose and still do! They drink out of toilets, mud holes, ponds if it's wet they'll drink it.

Second to that, when does it end. Just run water through it first.

I think it's okay if you run fresh water through the hose. That said, I had a dog a few years ago whose face swelled up with an allergic reaction after I had purchased a new hose and used it to fill up the dog buckets. I smelled the water coming out of the hose afterwards and it really had a "chemical" smell. He was fine after some Benedryl, but ever since then, I generally fill from a sink.

50 years of garden hose drinking for me and still kicking. I agree, why stop now.

Wow, I've been filling up my dog's bowls and buckets from our hose all these years. Maybe all those hose chemicals are to blame for my dogs pension for digging, eating rocks and stealing undies from ourlaundry hamper. I'll have to try giving my dogs Evian to see if they develop better genes for all these naughty habits

Wishful thinking you... if it were as easy as the water hose to blame...

Considering my dogs lick their own butts and eat roadkill if they get a chance, I'm not too worried about how their water (or anything else!) tastes.

But to each their own.