Distilled Water Shortage?
By DW Davis
@DWDavis (25797)
United States
January 7, 2023 10:19am CST
As some of you might remember, I sleep with a C-PAP. The humidifying reservoir of the device requires distilled water. We usually keep a decent supply on hand.
Over the holidays, our supply fell to one gallon, and last night, I used the last of it.
When I informed the missus and asked her if she'd picked up a gallon or two while shopping earlier yesterday, she replied in the negative. "The store was temporarily out."
No problem, thought I. I'll just run up to the local grocer and pick some up in the morning.
Problem. The first store I went to was out of distilled water, as were the second and third stores. Not until I tried a fourth store did I find a meager supply of distilled water available for sale. By meager, I mean about 1/2 a shelf at a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market.
I purchased 4 gallons. That should keep me breathing and snoring-free for a couple of months' worth of nights' sleep.
Now, I read the news - too much, probably, and I know the reason egg prices have jumped is the avian flu leading to tens of millions of laying hens dying or being destroyed. Nowhere have I seen a story about a growing shortage of distilled water.
Is there a distilled water scarcity where you are?
5 people like this
6 responses
@RubyHawk (99367)
• Atlanta, Georgia
8 Jan 23
I don't know because I don't use it. My deceased husband used a c-pap and and we were told when we couldn't find distilled water to boil tap water and it would do as well as distilled water. We did that a few times when we couldn't find distilled water and it worked just fine.
1 person likes this

@DaddyEvil (174482)
• United States
7 Jan 23
My CPAP machine has a water reservoir but I only used it for a few days when I bought the machine in 2015. I felt like I was drowning all night so shut the reservoir heater off and dumped the water. That made it comfortable for me to use. I think there's still most of a gallon of distilled water in the garage. We don't use it for anything.
1 person likes this
@DWDavis (25797)
• United States
7 Jan 23
@DaddyEvil The fish tank would help. Our HVAC system is all forced hot dry air in winter or forced cold dry air in summer.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (174482)
• United States
7 Jan 23
@DWDavis Oh, I've never had that problem. But I also have a 50 gallon fish tank throwing humidity into the air in my room all the time.
1 person likes this

@FourWalls (86713)
• United States
7 Jan 23
I haven’t noticed, but if there’s a lot do you want me to pick up a case and send it to you? 



1 person likes this
@Chellezhere (6421)
• United States
8 Jan 23
There has been a shortage of distilled water since 2017 in different parts of the country.
https://rockymountainwaterdistillers.com/pages/distilled-water-shortage-why-is-there-a-shortage-of-distilled-water
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (68246)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
7 Jan 23
Can you use the nursery water? That they sell in the baby and toddler section. Isn't that distilled?
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (68246)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
10 Jan 23
@DWDavis LOL i just remembered that we used it with my grandmas cpap
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