How to keep water bowl clean when parrot loves putting things in it?

[Snapdragon]

My mustache parakeet, Tashi, loves putting things in his water bowl. Pellets. Beans. Papaya granules. Wood, both large chunks and splinters. Paper. Any pieces of destroyed toys. Whatever he can get his beak on. He's kind of obsessed, and it doesn't help that he's a voracious chewer and shredder.

When I bring him home, I will mostly continue to work outside my home. I want to keep his water reasonably clean while I'm gone. My coworker suggests a water bottle, but I've heard horror stories about bottles not dispensing water, pets managing to chew the stopper, etc. Plus twisting motions (removing a lid) and the motions to wash the inside of a bottle cause me pain. I want to stick with stainless steel bowls.

What has worked for you guys?

Bonus pic of Tashi, Captain Shredderator Supreme himself:

 

[SailBoat]

Yup, I think its because they figured out that their Staff will change-out of the water and provide them something to amuse themselves with...

We just purchased a small boatload of water bowls and switch them out quickly. Hasn't changed anything other than Mrs. Boats is happier that her Sweetheart has fresh water.

 

[Flboy]

You are correct abut the horror stories surrounding water bottles!

 

[Betrisher]

My Rosetta was, I think, a washerwoman in an earlier life. She puts *every*thing in her water. It's almost as if she doesn't trust any item that hasn't first been 'washed' by her own scaly 'hands'.

Unlike the Beaks, she knows how to fish things out again. While Barney or Madge will sit on the side of their pool and obviously wish they could get this or that toy back, 'Setta just reaches in her foot and guddles about until she can hook out whatever she wants with one long toenail.

Once, I gave the birds a cheap toilet roll each to play with (I know! I know! It was a long time ago!). The Beaks did as expected and tore strips off, enjoying themselves enormously by 'decorating' their cage in white snow. Rosetta pulled the paper off sheet by sheet and took each bit to 'wash' in her pool. By the time I got there, she had about a kilo of papier mâché percolating away and was stomping in it, just as if she'd been tasked with stomping a vatful of pinot noir grapes.

Long story short (sorry about that): I don't know how to prevent a bird from putting things in its water, but considering how much fun mine get from it, I wouldn't really want to. Just so long as you realise that anything with metal parts will rust and need a good cleaning from time to time, I wouldn't worry.

 

[Flboy]

....
Once, I gave the birds a cheap toilet roll each to play with (I know! I know! It was a long time ago!)......

You have what?
You best keep your location a secret! And from now on, use code words! Otherwise the Google Spiders will find and target you!

 

[wrench13]

Our previous parrot, Max, used to be a dunker. We placed his water bowl up at the top of the cage, with just enough room for him to get his little head between the lip of the bowl and the top of the cage. And far from the food bowl. After a year or so, we lowered it gradually but still high up and far from food bowls.

If you try this, try adding a second bowl outside his cage. Salty likes to dunk his toys in preparation to throwing them across the room. Until we did this, he made a mess on the inside.

 

[YUMgrinder]

make a strainer that sits on the bottom, when it gets some junk in it, sift it out real quick and shazam!