making water clean in the house

amstellite

Bronze
Sep 5, 2007
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I am hoping I can bring somehting over that will clean water like we have on our faucets here in the states.. I know there are companies ove rthere in the DR selling potable water from little trucks that weave through the small streets of La Caleta, but I know from speaking to my friends that it can stil make you sick. So I wondered if there is a filter or a tablet or somehting I can buy and bring over so that they can hav drinkable water in the house, and not have to buy water from the colmado every time... cheers Mike
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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proper water filter would be too expensive. water from colmado costs only 35 pesos per 5 gallon bottle and all dominicans use it. i do not think they would trust tap water no mater what filter you install - it's not in their culture, you know. if you want to make water a bit better drop a pill of chlorine into cisterna (half a pill if cistern is small). it will not make the water drinkable but it will help a bit - you'll be able to wash and cook veggies safely.
 

amstellite

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Sep 5, 2007
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35 pesos for 5 gallons? I pay 10 pesos for a small bottle at the local colmado... if it is that cheap I would willingly fill up the blue barrel I sent them with water that lies dormant in thier kitchen right now.. are you sure it's so cheap? Is that the 5 gal bottle I see them carrying to the little truck that moves around selling water potable...? because they tell me they wonlt actually drink it....but 10 pesos for a small bottled water ( maybe 12 ounces) is what I pay at their local colmado...
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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ok, actually 35 pesos if for the water itself and the bottle is around 120 - 130 pesos. it works like this: you buy two bottles (240 - 260 pesos) and then go with an empty one to colmado and exchange it for a full one (35 pesos, may be a bit more or less, depending on water). you can also have a bottling plant deliver to you a whole metal cage with bottles (6, 12 or more) and pay deposit (whatever full bottles are worth). then give them a call each time you are short of full bottles and they come to take empty ones (and charge for water only).
come to think of it colmado water may is 40 pesos, we pay 34 pesos per 5 gallon bottle straight from producer.
 

pedrochemical

Silver
Aug 22, 2008
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You pay for the initial 5 gal blue bottle and exchange this every time you buy another 'galon'.
This is an initial outlay of about 200 pesos.
I have paid from 25 pesos to 50 pesos for the water and the taste did not differ noticeably.

When I first got here I could not figure out how people could afford to drink water when I looked at the price of a 2 ltr bottle from the supermarket - almost as much as a 5 gal container.
It was weeks before I figured out what was going on.

Your guts will get used to it soon enough.
 

pyratt

Bronze
Jan 14, 2007
690
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Google water purification online....there's scores of companies making tablets, purifiers and 2 part chemicals that will clean drinking water. Aquamira is one brand I know of.

You can also opt for a reverse osmosis (RO) system you can put in under the sink....filters need to be replaced every 90 days...that will get everything...guaranteed
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
5,050
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Google water purification online....there's scores of companies making tablets, purifiers and 2 part chemicals that will clean drinking water. Aquamira is one brand I know of.

You can also opt for a reverse osmosis (RO) system you can put in under the sink....filters need to be replaced every 90 days...that will get everything...guaranteed

Yes it will, UNTIL the filters need replaced. This is the part that will never happen either due to unavailability for no money.

35rd per 5 gallon of water 120rd for the bottle the first time can be bought at La Sirena. Habit won't let them or me drink from the tap.
 

Spec Ed Teacher

New member
Apr 21, 2009
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35 pesos for 5 gallons? I pay 10 pesos for a small bottle at the local colmado... if it is that cheap I would willingly fill up the blue barrel I sent them with water that lies dormant in thier kitchen right now.. are you sure it's so cheap? Is that the 5 gal bottle I see them carrying to the little truck that moves around selling water potable...? because they tell me they wonlt actually drink it....but 10 pesos for a small bottled water ( maybe 12 ounces) is what I pay at their local colmado...

We moved from Canada to Santiago in Aug. We paid 200 pesos each for 2 large blue water jugs at the Colmado just 3 doors down. When they are empty we walk over and exchange it for a full one - 25 pesos. We have NEVER been sick since we got here and we drink this water ALL the time. The taste is fine and I also use it for my coffee, tea, cooking & washing veggies. Ours is 'Agua Cascada' - cheap, easy and no problems!
 

rendul

Bronze
Feb 24, 2002
623
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rendul.tripod.com
Hi!! A couple of years ago I purchased an on-sink water purifier for drinking water. The filter is ceramic and need only be replaced after several years. I believe it is Birksfield or something like that and I purchased it at Baillon in Santiago. To clean the filter one need only unscrew the top, lift the ceramic filter out and wash with mild soap and water. Once clean just insert again and screw the top back on. I gotta say the water tastes a lot better than it did from those questionable jugs from the colmados.
 

Tony-O

New member
Jun 11, 2005
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British Berkefeld

I used a British Berkefeld during the 4+ years I lived in SD.......never a problem. I had a 4 element Big Berkey model. It holds about 2 gallons and takes less than an hour to purify by gravity. They make larger, and smaller, models. Costly but very well worth it.
 
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amstellite

Bronze
Sep 5, 2007
565
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I googled the berkfield - it 's pretty expensive.. can I use a brita form my local supermarket here? Or is it not powerful enough to clean Dominican water?
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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dude, don't make it hard for yourself. you can but all brita filters in this world and you will not succeed in making a dominican use it. they do not drink tap water. full stop. not even if you filter it thousand times and swear to jesus it's drinkable.
fix them with a cage of 5 gallons bottle, pay up the deposit and see their faces lit up. some things in DR can only be done domincan way...
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
5,050
458
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dude, don't make it hard for yourself. you can but all brita filters in this world and you will not succeed in making a dominican use it. they do not drink tap water. full stop. not even if you filter it thousand times and swear to jesus it's drinkable.
fix them with a cage of 5 gallons bottle, pay up the deposit and see their faces lit up. some things in DR can only be done domincan way...

What she said, thats what I was trying to say in the other post, you can install it, and they might even use it until they get sick because they never changed the filter, then will be your fault.

As DV8 say by the cage, and the extra bottle, they be happy. better yet they will use it.
 

OU812

New member
Jun 15, 2009
71
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I am hoping I can bring somehting over that will clean water like we have on our faucets here in the states.. I know there are companies ove rthere in the DR selling potable water from little trucks that weave through the small streets of La Caleta, but I know from speaking to my friends that it can stil make you sick. So I wondered if there is a filter or a tablet or somehting I can buy and bring over so that they can hav drinkable water in the house, and not have to buy water from the colmado every time... cheers Mike

I would not even try it...If you ever looked into the water tanks, the so many black tanks on every home here in the DR, you would have your answer. We have a tank here too, and we do keep it as clean as possible. Chlorine pills, just like caring for a pool so to speak. And I am so surprised that I still can see all of them disgusting Parasites swimming around, especially in the Summer Months. Now, our tank has a threaded top, like most if not all, so these Parasites must be in the water already. So, needless to say, we brush our teeth with bottled water and only use the common water for washing clothes and dishes. But, we use the bottled water for the final rinse of the dishes. Yea, its a pain, but better off doing this, then taking a chance for any microorganisms being left over...

I've been here for about 6 Years now, got sick one time from the water. That was the worst pain in the stomach I have ever experienced, no details needed right ;). That being said, and I totally agree with some others, I seriously doubt anyone would even think about using a filter or any kind of a filtration system.
 

OU812

New member
Jun 15, 2009
71
2
0
We moved from Canada to Santiago in Aug. We paid 200 pesos each for 2 large blue water jugs at the Colmado just 3 doors down. When they are empty we walk over and exchange it for a full one - 25 pesos. We have NEVER been sick since we got here and we drink this water ALL the time. The taste is fine and I also use it for my coffee, tea, cooking & washing veggies. Ours is 'Agua Cascada' - cheap, easy and no problems!

Why carry it back yourself, just call them up and they will exchange it for you. I always have 4 bottles at any given time, and it costs me 45 peso's to refill (Exchange) one bottle. Well, really 65 Peso's...I live on the 4Th floor, gotta take care of the poor guy taking 4 bottles up, so I tip him 20 peso's. Which worked out great! Now, he always asks if I have any garbage to be thrown out. Got some great service here!
 

Syork

New member
Sep 5, 2004
151
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Under sink water filter

My wife and I bought a great water filter that connects under the sink and has it?s own spigot on top of the sink. We got it in the USA but there are two water filter companies on 27th de febrero close to Abraham Lincoln that sell them and service them. The filter itself cost about $350US six years ago. It has 6-7 stages with UV light. The filters need to be changed at least once a year. I had it serviced a couple of months ago and the water tests out better than bottled water bought here-very clean and we have never gotten sick from it.

It produces about a gallon an hour-works great if you don?t have a really big family or a lot of guests.

Rick
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
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holy mary mother of god, will you guys stop being such gringos? water filters? brushing teeth in bottled water? what the heck? you are in DR now! it ain't jersey, i tell ya. gosh. i need to lie down.
 

bienamor

Kansas redneck an proud of it
Apr 23, 2004
5,050
458
83
holy mary mother of god, will you guys stop being such gringos? water filters? brushing teeth in bottled water? what the heck? you are in DR now! it ain't jersey, i tell ya. gosh. i need to lie down.

dv8 THIS is where they are not listening to us. The Op originally said this was for a POOR DOMINICAN family he is helpling. NO POOR DOMINICAN IS GOING TO SPEND $350us for a filter every year. NO POOR DOMINICAN is going to drink tap water if they can help it. NO POOR DOMINICAN is going to maintain a water filter system.

We gringos may do all of the above referenced but a POOR DOMINICAN will not.
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
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i hear you, bienamor. you can lead poor dominicans to the tap but you cannot make them drink the water...