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schwlind
Nomad
Posts: 362
Registered: 8-30-2008
Location: Daytona Beach, FL/San Antonio Del Mar (Colonet)
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Baja Water
We have a house on the Pacific out from Colonet (between San Vicente and San Quintin).
We have water trucked out to our house, but the water has a very high salt content, which is wreaking havoc on our pipes and plumbing fixtures, not to
mention our water pump.
The water comes from a well north of Colonet.
I spoke with a US company representative that said brackish water is a bear to treat as you must first remove all the minerals before you can even
think about desalineation. The water must be tested constantly as the composition of minerals and their levels can change. They recommended a beach
well, but I'm not certain that is doable (to get any water would probably have to be in or near the federal high water mark).
Do any of you also share this type of problem and have you discovered a way to effectively (as simply as possible) deal with this?
Thanks for any input.
Linda
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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i may be wrong, but isn't the proximity of the ocean to blame for much of the salinity in ANY wells in the area? much less a "beach well?" i know the
farmers around that area have the same problems with high levels if salt in their water.
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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Is that your only water source? There must be some decent water down there somewhere with all the big plans they have for the area. Maybe find a
different Pipa driver.
Our water here is pretty dirty as well but, not too salty. That might change when the water table drops and it's dropping all the time.
Another thing you should do is drain your water heater now and again. Open it from the bottom and let loose about five gallons of water with all the
sediment that gathers in the bottom. It will add life to the boiler.
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Cajones
Banned
Posts: 81
Registered: 9-13-2008
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You can get an expensive reverse osmosis system, but I have to tell you it will waste about 3 gallons of water for every gallon of fresh water it
creates, and uses a lot of power. The only realistic solution is to find a better source of water.
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6346
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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Mood: TEQUILA!
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Here is where I started:
http://www.generalecology.com/residential.htm
&
http://www.waterfixercompany.com/index.html
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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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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I have a Waterfixer unit for my place in Ensenada that I have not had the time to install yet. A friend in Ensenada has had a waterfixer unit for
several years and swears by it. Don't know if it will remove the "salt", but I would call their 800 number. The guy is very friendly and has plenty of
info on the product.
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Cajones
Banned
Posts: 81
Registered: 9-13-2008
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
I have a Waterfixer unit for my place in Ensenada that I have not had the time to install yet. A friend in Ensenada has had a waterfixer unit for
several years and swears by it. Don't know if it will remove the "salt", but I would call their 800 number. The guy is very friendly and has plenty of
info on the product. |
Waterfixers won't remove salt. You'll need a RO system for that.
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BAJABAILADOR
Junior Nomad
Posts: 42
Registered: 3-26-2007
Location: LAKESIDE CA/Colonet
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try a guy named Fermin {sp?}. I'm in san antonio del mar and he is who I use. Are
you at corona"s camp?
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bajabound2005
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2760
Registered: 10-15-2005
Location: Punta Banda, BCN
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Mood: words cannot describe...
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and your electric bill will quickly skyrocket!
Friends don't let friends drink white zinfandel.
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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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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajabound2005
and your electric bill will quickly skyrocket! |
because of the sand??????
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rob
Senior Nomad
Posts: 509
Registered: 10-19-2004
Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
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Re beach well. . .
You will need a permit from CONAGUA to drill a beach well, AFTER you have received salt water rights (yes- you need to obtain water rights even for
sea water).
At 40,000+ parts per million of salt, sea water (as any boat person will tell you) requires LOTS of energy for RO. If you are not on the power grid, I
would forget it for large volumes, and for small, invest in a solar panel/s and a yacht RO system.
According to PUR, the RO manufacturer, count on 1 gallon of fresh for every 23 of sea water . . . .
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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to take salt water there is NO permit needed...
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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i remember the ro "sparklets water" salesman telling me you lose 9 gallons for 1 good gallon
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
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Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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Your best answer from an economic standpoint would be to do as Dennis suggested - find another source. Even if you have to pay more, it will be
cheaper (and easier) in the long run than trying to desalinate the water. You might consider buying an inexpensive TDS/salinity test kit to use on the
water you get trucked in to make sure they aren't selling you salt water at fresh water prices.
Even Dennis who wasn't paying attention in chemistry class could use it!
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rob
Senior Nomad
Posts: 509
Registered: 10-19-2004
Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
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To drill a salt water well (in fact, any well), you need a permit, and the (salt water) rights are granted along with the permit.
Your sparkletts salesman was probably referring to brack water - I was talking about SEA water.
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
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again i must have read the post WRONG...sorry
no permit needed to pull water from the sea
permit is needed for a well
i would call salty water from a well "brackish water"
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
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Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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I ran across a guy who has a place further down south on the water. They pump seawater up to a separate tank on his roof that he has plumbed to the
toilets. He lives with his wife and four daughters and told me that he figured he was using 2-300 gallons a day in fresh water in the toilets before
he made the switch. Not sure if he was doing any kind of treatment prior. He did have it all plumbed into a very large septic system, along with his
fresh water drains...
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaGringo
He lives with his wife and four daughters and told me that he figured he was using 2-300 gallons a day in fresh water in the toilets before he made
the switch. |
That seems hard to imagine.
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
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Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
That seems hard to imagine. |
I said the very same thing.
He told me that he thought his pila had a major leak. Even had it drained and a liner put in. Then he started paying attention to where his water was
going. Told me that the five women in the house must have kidney infections because they each go pee a dozen times a day plus they have the habit of
flushing anything they find disagreeable down the toilet. He tried behavior modification but after awhile he accepted that he was outnumbered and that
was when he instituted the plumbing change.
Told me that he figured it paid for itself in less than a year.
YMMV
[Edited on 9-20-2008 by BajaGringo]
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vgabndo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3461
Registered: 12-8-2003
Location: Mt. Shasta, CA
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Mood: Checking-off my bucket list.
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How much drinking water do you need? How in tune are you with NOT using a lot of electricity? Are you willing to put a little energy into an almost
completely passive system?
A common third world solar still of 15 sq. ft. will produce about 2 gallons a sunny day. Better yet if the air temp is cooler, and if there is a cool
breeze over the collectors. A clear glass tempered sliding shower door makes a great cover and you can buy them through any stateside glazing company
for about $50.00 a piece.
The plans are all over the internet. http://www.solaqua.com/solaquakit2.html
You could continue to use the brackish water for bathing and dish and clothes washing, and convert enough distilled water for your potable needs.
A battery operated clock/timer valve will flush your system during the night after your best output period (just after sundown).
60 square feet should provide plenty of pure water.
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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