Tap water quality

[Clemens]

Anybody who have seen a recent lab test of the Guanajuato tap water?

I asked Simapag but never gotten any reply.
There are many different opinions but few facts. Some I have met drink the tap water daily, unfiltered without getting sick from it. Others refuse to brush their teeth with the tap water. I think also that there are different sources for different areas of the city. Anything that can reduce our Ciel expenses is a good thing!

Any insights?

[roberb7]

I use tap water to brush my teeth. I asked my dentist if it was OK to do this, and he said yes.

I accidentally swallowed a little bit of tap water a couple of months ago, and didn't suffer any ill effects.

I drink bottled water most of the time. The exception to this is, you can put a pitcher of water in the sun for three hours, and the UV rays will kill the bacteria.

[kasugie]

Much of tap water quality has a lot to do with the condition of the water main under your street (or callejón), along with the condition of the pipes in your home, and the Tinaco on your roof. In terms of making an informed decision, you need to factor this in. And, when in doubt.........

[raquelita]

If you run out of "purified" water, you can boil tap water for 20 minutes or use Microdyn. Over the long run, Drinking tap water is a bad idea because it can lead to amoebas, an unpleasant condition, but I do use it when I make soup or oatmeal.

Also, not all water in garrafons is created equal. If you see sediment at the bottom, change to another provider, especially if you think the garrafon has been filled with water that is not from the supplier on the label.

[Kay Curtis]

A particular concern about the water in G'to has to do with the history of mining and possible presence of heavy metals.

This morning brought this article into my inbox:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20140124/DABH6G3G0.html

[cam00]

1) GTO has and still is being mined at a number of locations, that may cause dangerous chemical and heavy metal contamination of its deep-well-water supply. This info may not be available publically, if it could damage the tourist-based income to the city. As far as I know, it is NOT treated with chlorine to kill pathogens.
2) The pipes delivering the water to the houses, etc are very old, dilapidated and, although at times replaced, sometimes deliver brown and even black water into the house, like what occurred here about a month ago.
3) The holding containers on the roof, tinacos, are often quite dirty and very likely contaminated with pollutants, bacteria, or worse, giardia or viruses.
4) The bottled water industry, which I am very familiar with in the USA, is completely non-regulated, and I doubt seriously that MEXICO is any better. I would only get water that is made by a large well-known company that uses both reverse-osmosis and activated charcoal filters to purify its water. Like Coca Cola (CIEL) water for drinking purposes.
5) Merely placing tap water in sunlight for any length of time, will not kill bacteria, viruses, fungi, or other pathogens. Particularly, cryptosporidium cannot even be killed by boiling water, ozonation or even chloridation.
5) I use the tap water for washing clothes (when the water is mostly transparent), cooking food, and showering. I would not drink the tap water, unless in some extreme situation.

6) Better than BOTTLED water, check with COSTCO or HOME DEPOT for a system that has a reverse osmosis membrane and activated charcoal filters to remove ALL minerals, bacteria, chemical contaminants, heavy metals, and most virus'. They can be installed by certain plumbers who have the necessary tools and knowledge. They should cost no more than $250, and installation costs are separate.

[mr bill]

Take a look at this old post from the early days of gtolist:

http://www.gtolist.com/forum/thread-61.h...t=comparis
.

I believe a 1 peso per garafon tax dedicated to municipal in-home potable water would solve the problem over time but I suspect the multinationals who profit from bad infrastructure woud object

[cam00]

I agree with you Mr Bill. And, the situation is slated to get worse over time, if the scientists who have investigated fresh-water supplies worldwide are correct.
One of the very best activated carbon filters with a stainless steel tank is made by a USA company called Multipure. By adding a reverse osmosis membrane to that system, it will take out virtually ALL chemical contaminants, ALL heavy metals, ALL bacteria including cryptosporidium, and probably all virus and other pathogens like dengue and giardia. These systems will last at least 1 year to a year and a half without changing filters. With a system in your house at point-of-use, you can be absolutely assured of true purified water.

I very much doubt that there are any laws in MEXICO regulating bottled water sold publically, and, as in the USA, many times bottled water has been found to be no better than ordinary tap water, with various chemical, metal and other pollutants that were tested to be found in water labeled as TOTALLY PURE. Even if there are laws regulating bottled water, it's even more unlikely that those laws are ever enforced.

[jesm]

A simple in-line Ultraviolet lamp system installed in your incoming water line will eliminate all issues of pathogens and microbials impacting your water supply. Installed with a particulate filter ahead of the lamp, the packages cost $200-400US depending on flow rates and features. The UV lamp, looks like a normal 18-36" fluorescent tube, needs replacing annually and cost $50-75US. We built and operated large scale potable plants all over the world and this technology is now standard for forward thinking utilities, but you can do it on an individual basis and drink worry free. The particulate filter will aid in the removal of physical matter, sand etc., so to prevent any blockage(shadow) of UV light from water contact. GE's water division sells these units thru Home Depot USA.

[cam00]

A person could make their own UV-water disinfectant system without paying exhorbitant costs. A sediment filter will not remove chemical or heavy metal contaminants. Neither will it remove any pathogens. I wouldn't want to rely only on an UV system to do that.

A sediment filter, activated carbon filter, a Reverse osmosis membrane, and an after filter, plus all connections and a holding tank costs about $!75-$250 US dollars.