For years I’ve heard that the water in Mexico is undrinkable, but what specifically is wrong with the water in Baja? I’m asking to decide on what kind
of filter(s) to get.David K - 10-27-2009 at 08:22 AM
Any strange water to your stomach can cause problems... Mexicans visiting the U.S. can get the 'turista two step' from our water... It is microbes in
the different water your system isn't accustomed to. However, bottled water is available everywhere if you don't bring enough.DianaT - 10-27-2009 at 08:24 AM
That one really depends on where your are in Baja---very different in different places.
For instance, there are some people who drink the tap water here in Bahia Asuncion. Our water comes from the other side of Vizcaino---however, I
would not recommend drinking it. I took a drink by mistake and it tastes terrible, really full of minerals.
But, we have no problem bathing and washing dishes with it. So, it depends on where you move.
We buy our drinking water 5 gallons at a time for 10 pesos for 5 gallons at the water store---
[Edited on 10-27-2009 by DianaT]DENNIS - 10-27-2009 at 08:45 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Tano
For years I’ve heard that the water in Mexico is undrinkable, but what specifically is wrong with the water in Baja? I’m asking to decide on what kind
of filter(s) to get.
The pila water here is really dirty among other things. It will clog up a store bought filter quickly. You might look into a pool filter that you
can clean.
There's purified drinking water for sale everywhere. I have a 55 gallon tank with a demand pump coming into the house. No filter necessary.
You can also buy water test kits online if you think you really want to know what's in the water.Bajajorge - 10-27-2009 at 09:01 AM
No, I'm not kiddin. To get used to the water straight from the well in Baja, I eat some jalapeno peppers for a couple of days prior to arriving in
Baja. Then put some lime juice in the water. It will still take a day or two to acclimate. Any commercial water filter will also help. I also use a
Pure filtered water pitcher. There is plenty of reverse osmosis water available, about 6-7 Pesos for 5 gallons. I don't think the problem is the
water, I think it's the pipes that deliver the water.Tano - 10-27-2009 at 09:19 AM
Thanks, everybody. I’m trying to stay away from chemicals, the most insidious type of contamination.Woooosh - 10-27-2009 at 09:45 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Tano
For years I’ve heard that the water in Mexico is undrinkable, but what specifically is wrong with the water in Baja? I’m asking to decide on what kind
of filter(s) to get.
I've had unfiltered samples of my Rosarito Beach municipal water tested and it came back absolutley fine to drink. No chemicals, nothing nasty living
in it either. We were shocked actually. I think it's because the water source here is the same as San Diego. Not sure how far down south in baja the
water quality changes.
Also- all restaurants here are required to use filtered water (including ice). Even with the water being safe to drink here - no one does- including
our family and we have a whole-house filter. It's more a mental thing.
Water Purifier
bajaguy - 10-27-2009 at 09:54 AM
Tano - don't know what application you are looking for but I am installing a Waterfixer 1000. It is a UV system.
Several Waterfixer units installed and in use in Ensenada, no problemsTano - 10-27-2009 at 10:13 AM
That’s more or less what I had in mind: something that will do the job for a particular area.vandenberg - 10-27-2009 at 10:14 AM
Drink the tapwater regularly here in Nopolo.
Really believe that most water in Baja is safe to drink and most discomfort is caused by it just being different from what you're used to. It
sometimes even happens inside the US while traveling to different states. And some folks are more susceptible to that change and get sick just
thinking about it.
So, if you get "the Revenge" for a few days, just stick with tapwater, and before you know it, 4 months mas o menos, you'll be adjusted and save the
bottled water money, which now you can spend on Pacifico. And now it dawns on you that you should have done this in the first place.Tano - 10-27-2009 at 10:26 AM
Thanks for the input, everybody. Has anybody tried one of those devices that make distilled water?DENNIS - 10-27-2009 at 10:34 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Tano
Thanks for the input, everybody. Has anybody tried one of those devices that make distilled water?
The ones I've seen use a lot of electricity. Use it for making tequila instead.mtgoat666 - 10-27-2009 at 10:36 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Tano
Thanks for the input, everybody. Has anybody tried one of those devices that make distilled water?
Distilled and RO treated water are energy intensive treatments, usually done only when the source water has high TDS. In case of high TDS, probably
preferable to buy bottled water for drinking/cooking and use the tap water for washing.
If you have low saline water coming to house via utility, then you may prefer to treat at tap using carbon filters and/or UV treatment.
Don't trust water provided by utility. The treatment and quality control is often not reliable, and distribution system sometimes lacks protections
such as backflow preventers, etc.bajalou - 10-27-2009 at 10:41 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Tano
Thanks for the input, everybody. Has anybody tried one of those devices that make distilled water?
You can find plans online to make a solar water distiller. Pretty easy setup and should work great in Baja with all the sunlight and heat.Tano - 10-27-2009 at 10:47 AM
"You can find plans online to make a solar water distiller. Pretty easy setup and should work great in Baja with all the sunlight and heat."
It crossed my mind. I'm somewhat of a techie, so all options are open.
The problem with distilled water is that some chemicals won’t be eliminated because they evaporate and condense along with the water. That’s why I was
asking if anyone had any practical experience with commercial distillers that might have a way to get rid of them anyway. If the water in Baja doesn’t
have any chemicals in it, then the situation might be different. Bacteria and minerals might be easier to deal with.
[Edited on 10-27-2009 by Tano]JESSE - 10-27-2009 at 11:41 AM
The more rural, the more clean.
Turning water into...
Dave - 10-27-2009 at 11:48 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by Tano
Thanks for the input, everybody. Has anybody tried one of those devices that make distilled water?
The ones I've seen use a lot of electricity. Use it for making tequila instead.
Proof that Jesus was Mexican.DENNIS - 10-27-2009 at 12:01 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by Dave
Proof that Jesus was Mexican.
Of course. Chuy of Nazareth.
Thank god for positive line pressure
Sharksbaja - 10-27-2009 at 12:20 PM
Any town/community that regularly turns the water off and on gives me a real scare. The problem I see is that plumbing systems in Baja do not require
or promote the use of backflow prevention. I've discussed it here before.
In a nutshell, if a main is shut off it creates a vacuum behind it as it drains out. This can pull caca into the system from unprotected backflow
sources like a hose in a septic tank
So even if the water is good it's possible the system downsteam of unchecked lines could theoretically contaminate each and every time they cycle
off and on.postholedigger - 10-27-2009 at 12:27 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by DENNIS
Quote:
Originally posted by Dave
Proof that Jesus was Mexican.
Of course. Chuy of Nazareth.
Anyone seen George Lopez' "Tall, Dark, and Chicano"? He does a bit in there that lays out his case for people who he thinks is Latino.
Partial quote: Jesus Christ....Latino. Carpenter. Accused of a crime He did not commit. Thought His mother was a virgin. LATINO!DENNIS - 10-27-2009 at 12:42 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by postholedigger
Partial quote: Jesus Christ....Latino. Carpenter. Accused of a crime He did not commit. Thought His mother was a virgin. LATINO!
That is hilariousarrowhead - 10-27-2009 at 01:48 PM
another one....
Why wasn't Jesus Chirst born in Mexico?
They couldn't find three wise men and a virgin.Oso - 10-27-2009 at 04:46 PM
"Never drink water. Fish flock in it."
-W.C. Fields805gregg - 10-27-2009 at 05:37 PM
The waters ok, but I only drink Mex beer.BajaGringo - 10-27-2009 at 07:55 PM
Activated carbon followed by a .45 micron cartridge filter should do the trick...Udo - 10-27-2009 at 08:42 PM
I like ro's idea the best, so far.
Thanks Ron![b/]BajaNuts - 10-27-2009 at 08:48 PM
sorry- gotta throw in another funny~
Why won't architects get into heaven?
Because Jesus was a carpenter~~~
And back on the water topic-
We needed to have some water testing done for a food processing facility that utilized our domestic well. It passed the carcinogens/hard minerals
test with flying colors but failed the bacteriological test 3 times.
There is nothing remotely near our well that could be contaminating it and the pump is at 90' below surface. Still dunno what was/is the issue, but
we installed an inline UV unit and it took care of the problem.
Replacement bulbs once a year run about $60, but it keeps me legal.
We only have the UV unit on the processing supply line. The domestic line and the processing line both have a sediment filter. We still get a good
amount of mineral/hard water build up on the faucets, etc., but the water tastes GOOD and we know where it is coming from!
[Edited on 10-28-2009 by BajaNuts]bajaguy - 10-27-2009 at 08:54 PM
Nutz.....is your UV unit similar to the Waterfixer???
We have a basic sediment filter (Omni I think) ahead of the Sterilight UV unit.
We went with this unit because it matched the gpm's that we figured the kitchen would use. It is in an outbuilding and the domestic water comes off
of the other side of a "T" somewhere out there at the well.
We don't actually know how all the plumbing works since there's a bag tank in the house but the frost-free's are on the other side of the well, and we
can't find a line-out down stream of the bag tank.....and the kitchen comes off of one of the frost-free's that's supposedly a "dead-end"...????
idunno- but we passed inspection, so that's all I care about!
Both sides have a sediment filter but we don't have a UV unit on the domestic side of the system.
We drink the water from both sides of the system (UV treated and non-UV treated).
[Edited on 10-28-2009 by BajaNuts]Iflyfish - 10-27-2009 at 10:54 PM
This discussion has me surfing the net regarding fresh water quality in Baja. As an old Mexico traveler I have always drunk only bottled water or
beer. From my reading and the reports of Nomads it appears that the water in Baja is in general better than on the mainland.
I am the sort that has a couple of MultiPure filters in my home in the US so water quality is important to me.
I believe I will continue to drink bottled water when in Baja, as many Mexicans also do, however I will not be as paranoid as I have been having
experienced some horrible water born illnesses in the Yucatan and other remote areas on the mainland.
Old habits die hard and the coming generations may have a much better water supply and delivery system than I have been exposed to in my travels.
I appreciate the posts and have learned from them. From my reading UV is good for bacterial contamination and if I were to set up a system down there
I would certainly invest in a UV system with some other filtration.
Iflyfish
Iflyfishbajaguy - 10-28-2009 at 06:14 AM
IFlyFish.....you can also install the Waterfixer UV system in your motorhome....they have a 12V model....originally designed for marine (boat) use.Pescador - 10-28-2009 at 08:22 AM
Because I am a certified water treatment for our community back home I had some interest in the water treatment system in our area of Central Baja.
When I went to the well and treatment building I noticed that the chlorine gas injector was not functioning and asked when it broke down. Since we
can not run 1 minute at low chlorine levels in the state of Colorado I had to laugh when the guy said it had broken down last year and they were
waiting for a part.
There are two issues here. If you have high concentrations of dissolved solids in your water, which is very common because of the way the aquifers
operate, that is a taste issue but not necessarily a health issue (unless you worry about kidney stones and that kind of thing). These are the
deposits you notice on your faucets and on your car if you should wash it. The other issue is microbiological which means little bugs in the water
like giardia, cryptosporidium, or even worse e-coli or other nasty bugs. Since very little Mexican water is chlorinated, these bugs can be present in
your drinking water and have to be killed by chemicals or Ultra fine filtration like Reverse Omosis, Ultra Filters, or UV light. Amway makes a great
filter with pressed carbon block, UV and final filtration that does a great job on this water so it is safe and pleasant to taste. Reverse Osmosis
(which I installed for a friend) wastes a lot of water in the production of filtered water so is not real effecient for a home use.ElFaro - 10-28-2009 at 08:29 AM
I'm on a well in San Diego back country...
We use a whole house water filter from Aqua-Pure by Cuno...they are worldwide and I've seen them in Baja. Figure about $80-120 for filter housing,
fittings, filter, etc.
The filter is a 5 micron size to filter out fine sediments...we had trouble with shower heads and valves clogging up with sediments and pebbles and
washed clothes turning slightly yellow B4 filter.
For drinking water we bought an RO system for under the kitchen sink. The RO system has a 5 micron and 1 micron carbon filters for sediments and
taste/minerals for primary filtration and then the membrane for final filtration. Bear in mind the membrane requires flushing as it forces pure water
through the membrane to the dispenser tank. For every gallon of RO water filtered it flushes out 2-3 gallons of "waste" water. Most plumbers route
the "waste" water to the drain line. We routed the waste water to a poly barrel outside the house wall and then use it to water various things (e.g.
plants, shrubs, trees, animals, etc.). Figure $400-800 for a system...more if you have someone install for you. Filters last about 3-4 years.
