Does bottled water go bad? When it's safe to drink expired water and what to do with a contaminated bottle

• Bottled water can have an expiration date, though it's legal in the US to sell expired water.
• Bottled water's expiration date warns when leached chemicals will begin to affect the water's taste.
• Drinking expired water probably won't harm you, especially if the water was stored properly.

During a road trip, you take a big swig of a water bottle you bought at the last gas station. Despite the label's promise of a natural taste, a chemical flavor bathes your tongue. You examine the bottle and learn its sell-by date was a month ago.