Around 46 million Americans experience water insecurity, meaning that they either lack running water or only have access to water that is unsafe to drink.
In response, some people have opted to utilize water dispensers to ensure their water is safe and clean. Others simply use water dispensers or water filters because they prefer the taste—but no matter the reason, these products can be found in a wide array of American homes.
However, while these dispensers may give the appearance of safe, clean water, that may not always be the case, as TikTok user Casey (@caseymadison4) recently noted in a video with over 1.4 million views.
Why you should clean your water dispenser
In her video, Casey says that she uses a water dispenser from the company Primo. However, upon opening the machine to fix a problem, she discovered something terrifying.
“Ours was full of black mold,” she says. “There was a little corner piece inside, it stopped dispensing water, so we opened it to see what's going on…This entire thing was the color of the machine, it was black mold.”
In addition, she says that she opened the machine to reveal the tank, which was also filled with something that she said had the appearance of black mold.
“My three and one year old drank it. I drank it. Everybody in my house drinks it—my dog, everybody. And we just got off the phone with Primo, and they said, you know, if we don't have a receipt, there's nothing they can do,” she details.
Casey pleads with viewers to, if they have one of these machines, make sure to clean it with regularity.
@caseymadison4 CHECK YOUR WATER #primowaterdispenser #primo
♬ original sound - Casey_Madison
Casey posts a follow-up video
In her follow-up, Casey states her issues were “definitely user error.”
“I do take accountability that I should have read the manual and known that it needs to be cleaned. I feel so dumb for not knowing that. So that is absolutely my fault,” she explains. “I grew up with one of those water machines and I called my mom, and she's like, ‘You have to clean them?’ She didn't know either. So definitely user error. It's my fault, not Primo's fault.”
While she says she does not know what caused the issue, she says that it could have something to do with how she stores the bottles when they are not in use, or the location from which she gets her water.
“But no matter what the case is, we are throwing out the machine. I am kind of happy it broke because I found, you know, the black mold or whatever was floating in there that I don't want any of us drinking,” she says. “So, I am going to be getting rid of it.”
Instead, Casey says her family is “looking into a water purifier system to put under the sink…and I will be reading the manual on that, because I'm sure that needs to be cleaned and probably has to get a new filter.”
She also posted a video of the machine being removed from her home.
Commenters share their thoughts on water dispenser cleaning
In the comments section, some users expressed surprise that Casey didn’t know that one was supposed to clean their water dispenser. However, many admitted that they also were not aware of this fact.
“I have primo and they set it up for me and never once did they mention that I need to clean and I was not left with instruction as primo installed it. I’m so upset checking mine now,” said a user.
“Honestly I have one and didn't know either,” echoed another. “Thanks for informing us.”
“People need to read owner’s manuals before using,” stated a third. “But-lesson learned & you shared for others to learn!”
The Daily Dot reached out to Primo via website contact form and Casey via TikTok direct message.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
