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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
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Mood: Peacefull
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What Happened to the Water ?
Until it rained a couple of nights ago I had the clearest water comming out of my tap.
Now it is ugly and cloudy ....
Was it because of the storm ??
Is my system compromised somehow ....
I am now afraid to use the tap water for anything until it either clears up or can be tested.
Do you think this is backflow contamination ??
I am now running open taps to see if it will clear.
I live in Todos Santos and usually have city water 24/7 ..
When I lived in La Paz (centro) I only got city water every other day for about six hours .....
Would be interested in your observations....
Thanks,
CaboRon
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64859
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Rainfall and rushing water causes turbulance and stirs up sediment... It will settle down eventually... not harmfull.
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Taco de Baja
Super Nomad
Posts: 1913
Registered: 4-14-2004
Location: Behind the Orange Curtain, CA
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Mood: Dreamin' of Baja
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Are you still on city water? or well water? Flushing probably will not help if the entire city supply line pipes are supplying cloudy water.
In any event, I sure wouldn’t drink it. There could be who knows what mixed into that cloudy water...sewer, ag chemicals, oil, anything. 
If it is City water, alert them. Until it is fixed drink bottled water, or beer.
Truth generally lies in the coordination of antagonistic opinions
-Herbert Spencer
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Ugly water solution
Here is a nifty system (model 1000)............use a whole house sediment pre-filter before the purification unit.....Ensenada tested!!!!!.
http://www.waterfixercompany.com/index.html
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
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Mood: Peacefull
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Taco de Baja
Are you still on city water? or well water? Flushing probably will not help if the entire city supply line pipes are supplying cloudy water.
In any event, I sure wouldn’t drink it. There could be who knows what mixed into that cloudy water...sewer, ag chemicals, oil, anything.
If it is City water, alert them. Until it is fixed drink bottled water, or beer. |
I am on city water .....
After that some of it goes to the roof storage unit, although how that happens is anybodys guess ....
The plumbing in this casa is the craziest mix of pipes and plumbing I have ever seen ..... who knows what feeds what, I sure don't.
The agent tells me they had to spend quite a bit of time and money to straighten it out after the builders finished ....
CaboRon
[Edited on 8-6-2008 by CaboRon]
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k-rico
Super Nomad
Posts: 2079
Registered: 7-10-2008
Location: Playas de Tijuana
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Do septic systems and fresh water wells mix when it rains hard? Probably not your problem but maybe.
Do you drink Mexican tap water? At first I gave it to my dogs but it was obvious that it made them sick.
Does anybody here drink Mex tap water?
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BMG
Super Nomad
Posts: 1776
Registered: 6-10-2007
Location: La Paz / Bahia Asunci�n / Away from home
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Until the water clears,
I would suggest switching to a darker whiskey.
I did look into your plumbing maze a bit. Just turn the valve on the left and your water should clear up in a week or 2.
I think the world is run by C- students.
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Nobody in our little pueblo will drink city/well water for 48 hours after hurricane or downpour.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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I can't believe I'm hearing this. What's the number one rule for travel or living in Mexico? DON'T DRINK THE WATER. I find it hard to believe that
anybody still does it.
The other number one rule is...DON'T DRIVE THE TOLL ROAD AT NIGHT.
Have I forgotten any other number one rules?
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
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Mood: Peacefull
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
I can't believe I'm hearing this. What's the number one rule for travel or living in Mexico? DON'T DRINK THE WATER. I find it hard to believe that
anybody still does it.
The other number one rule is...DON'T DRIVE THE TOLL ROAD AT NIGHT.
Have I forgotten any other number one rules? |
Dennis,
I never said anything about drinking the water, even though I have gringo frinds who do drink the water in La Paz.
I do use it to brush my teeth, shower and wash with, and I use it for any cooking and making coffee where the water is boiled.
CaboRon
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
I can't believe I'm hearing this. What's the number one rule for travel or living in Mexico? DON'T DRINK THE WATER. I find it hard to believe that
anybody still does it.
The other number one rule is...DON'T DRIVE THE TOLL ROAD AT NIGHT.
Have I forgotten any other number one rules? |
In our village there are people who do drink the water---we don't, but we do shower and brush teeth with it -- dishes, etc.
I wouldn't because it comes from the otherside of Vizcaino (70 miles + )and the pipes are old and constantly breaking, not to mention the many, many
leaks along the way.
If our water suddenly changed, I would not trust it to just be sediment stirred up, unless you are quite sure all the pipes that lead to you home are
in great shape.
Have you thought of doing what we do? We put a little bleach in our tinacos once in while --- just a precaution.
Diane
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by k-rico
Do septic systems and fresh water wells mix when it rains hard? Probably not your problem but maybe.
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Septic systems won't. They're closed unlike cesspools. They're open and will. So, stay out of your cesspool for 48 hours after a deluge. You
wouldn't want to be frolicking around in that dirty well water.
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BMG
Super Nomad
Posts: 1776
Registered: 6-10-2007
Location: La Paz / Bahia Asunci�n / Away from home
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
So, stay out of your cesspool for 48 hours after a deluge.
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Seems to me that I heard you should stay out of cesspools for at least 72 hours after flushing.
I do know of a good doctor in La Paz if you want to drink the tap water.
I think the world is run by C- students.
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
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Mood: Peacefull
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
| Quote: | Originally posted by k-rico
Do septic systems and fresh water wells mix when it rains hard? Probably not your problem but maybe.
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Septic systems won't. They're closed unlike cesspools. They're open and will. So, stay out of your cesspool for 48 hours after a deluge. You
wouldn't want to be frolicking around in that dirty well water. |
Well Dennis,
That just blows my all my home improvement plans to hell.
We were trying to modify the cess pool to serve double duty as the swimming pool.
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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Drinking tap water? Must have run out of beer.
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Rainfall and rushing water causes turbulance and stirs up sediment... It will settle down eventually... not harmfull. |
Actually, siltation or "turbidity" is a major reason why surface water sources are rarely considered safe anymore.
When sediments are added or "stirred" into the water source, they have the potential to bring all kinds of critters with them. The surface area with
all the nooks and crannies has lots of potential to hold bacteria.
If the water source is chlorinated, the chlorine molecules tend to attach to the sediment particals which diminishes the disinfecting ability of the
chlorine.
If you get your water from a well, there should be no siltation as wells should be cased and isolated from surface water. If there is siltation in a
well-supplied system, there is likely either a well that is taking in seepage water from the surface (very bad news) or their distribution or storage
system has been compromised.
Although there are some sediment-like particulates that may not be dangerous to drink, there is enough potential for a health risk that I would never
suggest drinking turbid water without sufficient filtration.
.
[Edited on 8-6-2008 by Diver]
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
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One caviot;
Even with well water systems, a very tiny amount of silt may accumulate over time at the bottom of distribution mains. Particularly when the mains are
sized for fire flow but normally only used for lesser flows.
With these systems some turbidity can occur when the water mains are flushed or after a fire event which can cause accumulated particulate to dislodge
and enter the water stream. Although this is not normally bacteriologically active material, it may contain heavy metal particulates or simple rust
that can stain your clothes.
More than you ever wanted to know ..... sorry, got carried away as I used to teach a class in this stuff.
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Jack Swords
Super Nomad
Posts: 1095
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Nipomo, CA/La Paz, BCS
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We lived in Todos Santos back in the 80's and early 90's. Frequent water failures in town created the same situation. There were/are few backflow
devices in many casas and when the pressure fails water can be sucked back into the system from horse troughs, tinacos, leaky water lines, or other
sources if a valve is open. That "suck-backed" water is then in the system to deliver when pressure is back. Todos Santos is hilly and that enhances
the effect. Also, septic tanks properly designed may be sealed, but not necessarily. We had a strong rainfall that flooded most of the town and made
the huerta impassable (5 ft deep). My neighbors had a privy (as do many others) and it was entirely cleaned out by the floodwaters...mixed in the
waters covering town. Are the wells sealed from such water? We did not drink tap water.
Now in La Paz, many, many folks drink the water (except after a hurricane). We use it for coffee, bathing, washing teeth, etc. Bottled water is used
for drinking. Supposedly the La Paz water is tested frequently and is safe to drink.
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
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On the same subject: Loreto bay homeowners were recently notified that their tapwater was not safe to drink. Too high a bacterial content. They were
advised to boil all water before usage. Now, as far as I know, this is the same water the rest of Loreto receives, but nobody, including people in
Nopolo, were ever advised of this problem. So much for a caring Loreto Bay company.
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bacquito
Super Nomad
Posts: 1615
Registered: 3-6-2007
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Mood: jubilado
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| Quote: | Originally posted by k-rico
Do septic systems and fresh water wells mix when it rains hard? Probably not your problem but maybe.
Do you drink Mexican tap water? At first I gave it to my dogs but it was obvious that it made them sick.
Does anybody here drink Mex tap water? |
I tried it a couple of times in Ensenada-I heard other people drink the tap water. It was somewhat salty-kinda like Yuma water and made lousy coffee!
bacquito
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