Drinking street water - interesting results

TropicalPaul

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Sep 3, 2013
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I've just bought an apartment in a tower, and I wanted to install a boiling water tap (faucet). But this only works when connected to the mains water supply, not with bottled water. I read on the CAASD website that they say that in Greater Santo Domingo the water from the tap is perfectly drinkable, and has been for three years. Obviously I didn't believe this, so I sent off to the US for a Complete Water Analysis Test Kit, and have run a complete test on the water. The results are below. It appears that the water coming out of my tap would pretty much meet EPA standards, so would be acceptable in the US. I'm just not sure if I am prepared to risk it and start to drink it, and I would welcome comments from anyone who can help interpret these results.

Results:

Bacteria: None (EPA acceptable level is None)
Total Chlorine: 4 ppm (EPA acceptable level is 4ppm or under)
Nitrate Nitrogen: 10 ppm (EPA acceptable level is 10 ppm or under)
Nitrite Nitrogen: 0 ppm (EPA acceptable level is 1 ppm or under)
Copper: 0ppm (EPA acceptable level is under 1.3 ppm)
Lead: Negative (EPA acceptable level is negative)
Iron: 0ppm (EPA acceptable level is Under 0.3ppm)
pH: 8 (EPA acceptable level if 6.5 to 8.5)
Hardness: 200 ppm (EPA acceptable level is under 50ppm, but this does not affect health)
 

Caonabo

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Sep 27, 2017
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I don't see anything in those results about amoebas and parasites.

You should consult with your local pharmacy/farmacia to assist you with the required medications before taking the risk. Azitromicina 500mg works wonders, but we are not all created equal. It may be cheaper to stick with bottled water. Good luck.
 

melphis

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Apr 18, 2013
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I still couldn't bring myself or my family to drink it. I would cook with it but would be scared silly to drink it as I had the bug once and that was more than enough.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
 

southern

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The U.S has the safe water drinking act. It is enforced by the EPA. It covers all states and Puerto Rico. The Dominican Republic has no oversight that will "hold water". Bottled water is best to drink, stay thirsty my friend.
 

ju10prd

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The U.S has the safe water drinking act. It is enforced by the EPA. It covers all states and Puerto Rico. The Dominican Republic has no oversight that will "hold water". Bottled water is best to drink, stay thirsty my friend.

I wonder therefore if anyone has tested the bottled water prepared locally that you recommend. At least TP has tested independently the tap water as the OP and shared the results.

I bet we are drinking the same quality or similar out of those 5 gallon bottles.

The effective form of water treatment here is UV treatment, chlorination and carbon/other filtration. It is not RO.
 
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Kipling333

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i am sure you may able to get a good analysis some days but not every day , so why risk drinking tap water when the bottled water from reputable companies is safe .
 

ju10prd

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i am sure you may able to get a good analysis some days but not every day , so why risk drinking tap water when the bottled water from reputable companies is safe .

Remember Disani when they introduced their brand in the UK? Thanks to the consumers affairs in the UK, we discovered they were using tap water when the company said it was spring water.

There are no reputable companies when a dollar is to be made. Do as the OP did and you may find your 5 gallon colmado water is straight out of the tap too.
 

mobrouser

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..... I sent off to the US for a Complete Water Analysis Test Kit, and have run a complete test on the water.....
How much did the test kit cost?

I would do several tests, at least one as ju10prd suggested after a period of heavy rain/flooding, and track your results and then make your decision.
 

TropicalPaul

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How much did the test kit cost?

I would do several tests, at least one as ju10prd suggested after a period of heavy rain/flooding, and track your results and then make your decision.

The test kit cost US$ 24 so it's not something that you'd repeat every day. I do agree with ju10prd, it's probably worth doing a comparison test with bottled water. I live in London as well, and I remember the water company did a test of bottled water and tap water when they came to my house, and the bottled water failed.

This is the article from CAASD where they claim the water is completely drinkable:

https://www.listindiario.com/la-rep...-gran-santo-domingo-es-potable-en-mas-del-98-

I think that I may go ahead with the boiling water tap. This will maintain the water at over 90 degrees, so I assume that water heated to this temperature will have most bacteria killed in any case. I may try drinking tap water for a few days and see if makes me ill or not.
 

DR_DEFENDER

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Jan 8, 2002
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The U.S has the safe water drinking act. It is enforced by the EPA. It covers all states and Puerto Rico. The Dominican Republic has no oversight that will "hold water". Bottled water is best to drink, stay thirsty my friend.

Huh! Say that to the people of Flint, Michigan. I don't trust any tap water these days unless I could test it on a daily basis and we all know that is not going to happen.
 

Kipling333

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Maybe ju10prd you should visit one of the establishments where they distill the water for the bottles and you would not make such a comment . There most certainly are reputable companies who know that their reputation is their business. i recommend you visit Pelicano or Crystal .
 

AlterEgo

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I've posted it before, but it bears repeating. SIL is a pharmacist and 'health nut'. She tested many of the bottled waters, and will only drink Crystal or Planeta Azul. She also tested the well water at our house, and it passed with flying colors. We still don't drink it, who knows how things change from week to week, but I do cook with it.
 

TropicalPaul

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I've posted it before, but it bears repeating. SIL is a pharmacist and 'health nut'. She tested many of the bottled waters, and will only drink Crystal or Planeta Azul. She also tested the well water at our house, and it passed with flying colors. We still don't drink it, who knows how things change from week to week, but I do cook with it.

Interesting. When you say you cook with it, would you use it for pasta or rice, for example? I'm only interested in boiling it to make hot drinks, but something like rice or pasta absorbs the water so you're still ingesting it into your body.

I also add that CAASD is only saying the water is safe in Santo Domingo, not outside. I think I will see if I can get a bacterial testing kit more cheaply and run a few more tests.
 

AlterEgo

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Interesting. When you say you cook with it, would you use it for pasta or rice, for example? I'm only interested in boiling it to make hot drinks, but something like rice or pasta absorbs the water so you're still ingesting it into your body.

I also add that CAASD is only saying the water is safe in Santo Domingo, not outside. I think I will see if I can get a bacterial testing kit more cheaply and run a few more tests.

Yes, I use it for pasta and rice, even soup. I don't use it for coffee because that doesn't boil long enough [we use an electric espresso machine, or a greca]. We have a separate spigot for direct well water - the water in the cistern and tinaco have chlorine pucks added to them, we don't consume that.

I have to add that I have one of those 'sensitive' stomachs, everything bothers me, but no problems there.
 

Cdn_Gringo

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Apr 29, 2014
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The further one gets away from Santo Domingo and perhaps Santiago, the more lackadaisical the public water authorities become. Water delivery for many outside metropolis remains spotty and inconsistent. Old and compromised pipes allow for the infiltration of contaminants in many locations.

My house was built back in the days when water was toxic to look at and I have a cistern system. Before I would even entertain the idea of laying new pipes to supply water directly to the house from Coraplata I would need first hand evidence that when I wanted to take a shower, there would be water available, quality testing is done by the supplier numerous times per day and that there are plans and processes in place to flush the entire system clean after contamination is discovered either after flooding or water line breaks.

As evidenced by those who refuse to drink tap water at home, convincing people to consume large quantities of water from the tap is a long process backed up by consistent service and proven water quality. In Ottawa where I come from, the water has been shown over many decades to be as good as the bottled alternatives. A simple filter can removed the chloramine if one is concerned about that.

In the DR I do not have any confidence at all in the professionalism of most water treatment workers and systems. I have no trouble envisioning a scenario where a worker goes to add a treatment chemical to the filtration system, finds the bottle empty and puts it on his list of things to do manana. Ecoli and other water born pathogens can kill people and regularly do even in the industrialized world when errors or omissions occur.

The failings of the water system in Montecristi or Puerto Plata or anywhere else will taint the impressions of people and reflect poorly on the system in SD, Santiago and elsewhere who may do a better job.

One cup of coffee made in a machine that doesn't heat the water above 160 degrees can make you sick. Two cups can kill you if you are susceptible or Immunol compromised. Ongoing tests over years are needed to establish consumer confidence. Then the one time you turn on the tap and nothing comes out, it all resets to back to zero.

The evidence to date, does not support notion that the DR can deliver consistently safe drinking water to homes. Even if it is fine after treatment, only the good lord knows what happens to it on it's journey to your faucet. Consumers should be cautious. Even when there is a high level of confidence in the system, for a decade or so afterwards some sort of pre-house treatment would be prudent as the public system matures and workers learn that a simple mistake can be deadly.

This country and perhaps no country can go from bad to good in a single step when it comes to modernization and process development.

I think those under sink water heaters are great things. Unfortunately, I don't have a need for lots of consumable hot water. I'd use some for one pot of coffee a day and when boiling water for pasta and that's about it. The rest of the time I'd be filling jugs with hot water only to put them in the fridge to cool down.

The drinking water supply in this country - not ready for prime time just yet. imo.
 

southern

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Huh! Say that to the people of Flint, Michigan. I don't trust any tap water these days unless I could test it on a daily basis and we all know that is not going to happen.

Flint was highly unusual and 5 people were charged with involuntary manslaughter
 

Bryanell

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An extranjero friend who worked on a joint CAASD water supply project told me that basically, the CAASD water treatment is good, but for all kinds of reasons it is not consistent and therefore cannot be relied upon. The inconsistencies range from sporadic shortages of filtration and chemical treatment materials, to human failures and machinery breakdowns. Also, domestic water piping, particularly in apartment blocks often leaves much to be desired. So I do not drink the tap water but, unlike some friends, I do shower and brush my teeth with it. I do not cook with it but do use it to wash fruit and vegetables. Been living here for 13 years so far without water related health episodes.