50' Flexzilla Garden Hose (5/8")

Because I know something of hose manufacture let me comment.

Most consumer hoses are made of FPVC (Flexible PVC), 2 layers with a knitted reinforcement between the layers (except for the rubber hoses of course). To make these as cost effective as possible, some manufacturers will use reclaimed/recycled PVC on the inner layer - meaning they buy PVC from wherever they can find it (and it's usually post-consumer, is contaminated with all sorts of shit, etc), reprocess it and bury it in the construction where the consumer won't see it. These hoses typically have a black inner layer. The black is added mostly to mask the shitty quality of the inner portion of the hose, but does impart some UV abilities. If you feel the ID (inside) of these hoses, they are often bumpy or rough; this is either contamination (paper, metal, other plastics) or degradation of the PVC itself.

You can use virgin (that is, "new") PVC, but obviously it's more expensive, and most people couldn't give a shit about "quality" of a hose especially if they can't see it. If you see 2 hoses on the shelf and they both look "new" on the outside, you're going to likely buy the cheaper one. (also why people don't buy the rubber versions because they are more $$). sometimes there are stripes, 3 layers instead of 2; these are super sexy ($$$) hoses; I can't comment on their value but can only say that functionally it's all a similar resin.

Second, lead is still used to stabilize PVC in some countries (like Russia, some in Asia, South America, etc). In the US, it's mostly DEHP and other stabilizers - these are the sort that people are up in arms about as use in medical FPVC (which I can tell you because I also work heavily in this field, are still widely used) for being a phthalate (you can read up on that elsewhere).

So TLDR is, most hoses contain reclaimed/recycled plastic on the inner portion (which contacts the water), and could conceivably leech chemicals into the water, especially if left to sit in the sun for periods of time.

As for me, I don't see it really an issue. If you are buying hoses specifically for potable water then yes go ahead and get special ones for drinking water, but your average person isn't drinking anywhere near enough water from one of the "non potable" hoses to do any kind of damage. If it really bothers you, let the water run for a minute to flush out any water that sat in the hose.

All of the above is the same for all manufacturers. Teknor Apex is the only hose manufacturer I know of that actually manufactures the base resin (FPVC) as well, so perhaps being vertically integrated they might be able to offer a cheaper price point on 100% virgin hoses, I'm just extrapolating here.

I've had this exact hose since March 2013 - 7 years. It's been the best hose I've ever owned - still in perfect shape and still very flexible even after being in the sun all those years.

This is the standard price at HD with free ship to store or free ship to home with orders over $45.


https://www.homedepot.com/p/Flexzilla-5-8-in-x-50-ft-ZillaGreen-Garden-Hose-with-3-4-in-GHT-Fittings... [homedepot.com]

Additionally, if you are Military or Pro you get additional discounts for purchase in store and in the midwest HD is running the 11% rebate match with Menards for instore purchases as well.

https://www.homedepotrebates11percent.com/#/home

Again, YMMV.