BajaNomad

SOurce of Bottled water / potable water

edm1 - 5-20-2007 at 06:59 PM

Where in Baja is a good place to refill? I'm talking 30 or so GALLONS at a time for drinking, washing, showering.

[Edited on 5-21-2007 by edm1]

David K - 5-20-2007 at 07:03 PM

All towns have potable water facilities...

edm1 - 5-20-2007 at 10:21 PM

Sorry for not being clear enough. I've read that tap water (brackish?) is not recommended. Are potable water spigot/faucets available at RV camps, fuels stops, grocery stores? Or is bottled water only the solution?

DianaT - 5-20-2007 at 10:23 PM

When we had our trailer, we used the water in RV camps for washing dishes and showers---bottled water for drinking and cooking.

Diver - 5-20-2007 at 10:31 PM

Where are you going ??
Many towns have agua purificado stores that will run a hose to your camper. BLA, Mulege, Loreto and others.
Some places you may need to buy 5 gallon jugs and pour them in (I bring 10' of 3/4" clear syphon tubing). I also bring a few 5 gallon jugs for extended dry camping when I'm too lazy to get into town; someone is always going.
Some RV Parks have water that is good to drink ie KOA in Tecate, Manfred's RV park in Cuidad Const., Martin Verdugos in Barilles and others.
You shouldn't have any problems.
.

Bob and Susan - 5-21-2007 at 04:46 AM

in mulege you can fill your tank with purified water on the road by the river...no sweat...couple of bucks

and at the gringo store on the hwy for free...but that is city water...
stop at the store and buy sonething you need while you're waiting...good parking

edm1 - 5-21-2007 at 07:53 AM

Diver, agua prificado store with hose - that's what I'm looking for. But are there some in Tecate, San Felipe, El Rosario? Also 5-galllon jug's very good idea.

My itinerary is as follows (10 days):

SOUTHBOUND - Tecate border crossing
San Felipe
Puertecitos/Calamajue/Coco's Corner

Optional (if time and interest permit) - Bahia de los Angeles

NORTHBOUND Mex1
Catavina to El Rosario/Ensenada
San Ysidro Border crossing

Any water purificado stores (or other sources of bulk water) along my way?

[Edited on 5-21-2007 by edm1]

David K - 5-21-2007 at 08:07 AM

Yes... in all towns the government or ?? has potable water available (that means purified drinking water). El Rosario, too... (as I said above). Bahia de los Angeles has wonderful spring water... just drive up the hill behind the village to the palms and silver tanks. A hose can be used to fill your storage tank. Calamajue (Puerto?) and Coco probably get their water from wells... You plan on being gone a week or more?

However, if you want to really experience Mexican culture, you will be drinking the local beer (Tecate, Mexicali, Pacifico, XX, Modelo, etc.) and not that much water! Bring your own bottled water from Costco or wherever... Bathe in the Sea of Cortez, save water...

Diver - 5-21-2007 at 08:16 AM

With 2 adults and 2 kids, we use our 35 gallons in about 4-5 days.
3 days if showering a lot.
The syphone hose really cuts the work of pouring bottles into your tank.
We also bring a 5 gallon with a pumpa as a spare for drinking water the day we run out, on our extended trips. This also works well if you need to fill your tanks from a questionable source or connect to a hose.
Brackish is usually safe but an ounce of chlorox in your tank will help make sure. Then we drink from the 5 gal pumpa bottle because the chlorine tastes like caca.

.

Hook - 5-21-2007 at 08:36 AM

where can I get one of those pumps Stateside, Diver, that attaches to a 5 gallon water jug?

bajalou - 5-21-2007 at 08:39 AM

A couple of water purification places in San Felipe that will fill your tanks directly. Aqua-Pur, just off Chetamul - on right, and by the ice house Azul Estrella on Mar Caribe Norei

Diver - 5-21-2007 at 09:21 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hook
where can I get one of those pumps Stateside, Diver, that attaches to a 5 gallon water jug?


We have the yellow manual pump that we got in a ferreteria in Santa Rosalia a few years back. Don't buy the red ones; they are cr-p.
If you go online, you will find many kinds of electric and manual pumps.
Maybe someone knows a place in San Diego that has them ??

Ours is yellow but looks like this photo.
The manual air-pressure pumps work, as well.

.

[Edited on 5-21-2007 by Diver]

pump.jpg - 11kB

Bob and Susan - 5-21-2007 at 09:21 AM

bring your own hose...you MAY need it

Bob and Susan - 5-21-2007 at 09:23 AM

oh yea...

and DON'T bathe in the sea of cortez...

i eat stuff that comes out of it:lol:

Diver - 5-21-2007 at 09:39 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Bob and Susan
bring your own hose...you MAY need it


Yep, any ferreteria will have plenty of clear tubing in just the size you need, for cheap.

Our camper is equiped with a 15' hose for RV parks and a spare 50' garden hose for those occasional needs.

Also, for short-term grey water disposal we bring a 5 gallon bucket with 1/2" holes drilled in and around the bottom. The lid is fitted with a waste hose connection. Bury it most of the way and you won't have to fill your tanks with sink and shower waste. A second 5 gallon bucket make a nice place to store the one with the holes and you can use it for other things when in camp.

.

edm1 - 5-21-2007 at 10:18 AM

Everyone, all are very good suggestions. I'm equipped with hoses and stuff. What I was not sure was where to get/buy bulk potable water.

So now, with all the info in this thread, I'm imagining driving up to an AGUA PURIFICADO store manned (?) by a Mexican to whom I hand over some pesos (based on a gallon/volume meter?) after connecting my hose and dispensing water to my RV.

I haven't seen something like this in the US (always got tap water from the camp faucet).

As for bathing, I like to rinse the salt off my sweaty body :lol:


[Edited on 5-21-2007 by edm1]

Diver - 5-21-2007 at 11:12 AM

Try filling a 3-4 gallon Sun Shower.
Use a mild soap like Dr Bonners and I bet you don't use the whole thing.
We can shower one adult and one kid with 4 gallons total.

It's a great way to train the wife and kids to use less water.

.

edm1 - 5-21-2007 at 12:59 PM

Diver,

" So now, with all the info in this thread, I'm imagining driving up to an AGUA PURIFICADO store manned (?) by a Mexican to whom I hand over some pesos (based on a gallon/volume meter?) after connecting my hose and dispensing water to my RV. . . ."

Is this a reality (it's how it works) in Mexico?

"a 5 gallon bucket with 1/2" holes drilled in and around the bottom. The lid is fitted with a waste hose connection. Bury it most of the way and you won't have to fill your tanks with sink and shower waste. "

- - - a portable septic tank/system!!! :lol:

As for black water/waste, I use potty cassettes (one empty spare) and pour them out at dumping stations.

[Edited on 5-21-2007 by edm1]

Small town water sellers

John M - 5-21-2007 at 01:12 PM

EDM - markets in several small towns have their own "agua pura" dispensing machines. Catavina does, El Rosario does, as well as Bahia de Los Angeles, and I think Rancho Grande at Gonzaga.

But...in our experience the "agua pura" is only as pura as the machine. I wouldn't have any idea how pura these small dispensing machines are. In the markets you'd bring in a five gallon container and for about a buck get 5 gallons of water.

All that being said, we've used them all the time - just that I wouldn't bet they're so "pura" - depends on the care and cleanliness of the aparatus.

The big places such as in San Felipe ( the ones BajaLou pointed out) would be better choices.

We'll often purchase one gallon water, sealed, in these small towns and refill our large container. My wife and I have become rather economical on water usage, preferring beer and margaritas. And with morning coffee? any 'ol water will do.

John M

Bob and Susan - 5-21-2007 at 03:35 PM

"It's a great way to train the wife and kids to use less water":lol::lol::lol:

DavidT - 5-21-2007 at 09:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by edm1


As for bathing, I like to rinse the salt off my sweaty body :lol:


[Edited on 5-21-2007 by edm1]


A Hudson sprayer modified with a cheap shower head works well. Put a valve inline, slap some black paint on it, set it in the sun and you are good to go.

shari - 5-22-2007 at 08:00 AM

A little wataer story here...in Bahia Asuncion we have 2 water purfication plants now...reverse osmosis..and you can fill jugs for very cheap..10 pesos for 5 gallons of drinking water. One day a cruiser from a yacht came ashore..he was very anal...oops I mean fastidious...and insisted on testing the water before he bought it...I could see his thoughts...oh yeah, some mexican kid selling water...uh huh...well, I'll show him.....so he got out his testing equipment and a look of amazement came over his serious face...he says..." this is the CLEANEST water I've EVER seen ANYWHERE in the WORLD!!!:bounce: And he got 20 gallons for his boat. So there! PS...only buy the yellow pumps...the blue ones suck too and they all look kinda the same.
DO NOT bring water from Costco por favor. Too many stupid little bottles everywhere and takes up alot of space in your vehicle too. Carry a water testing kit if you're worried about it.

[Edited on 5-22-2007 by shari]