Drinking water and Banking

Otter

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Nov 20, 2005
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I was told that the water that we buy at the market in Sosua in the 5 gallon bottles is good for cooking, but not safe for drinking. The person that gave the advice has lived in sosua for many years. They suggest buying the smaller liter bottle inside the store for drinking. Any thoughts on this?
Also, I have an account with an US bank. I want to be able to transfer funds into an account here ie Banco Popular, is it possible to wire funds from one to the other? How are most people doing this.
Thanks in advance for you help.
Ot
 

DavidZ

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Aug 29, 2005
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Are you referring to the big "water cooler" type bottles? That *is* drinking water... what just about everyone uses.

As for wire transfers, there's no problem transfering from the US to the DR, some banks here take more than a couple of days to "release" the funds though so ask at the bank you are going to open your account with...and if it's over 10,000 USD you need to explain where the funds are coming from...
 

BushBaby

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Jan 1, 2002
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Whoever it was that gave you the information re 5 Gall water bottles being unsafe for drinking purposes should IMMEDIATELY be removed from your friendship/informants lists.:bunny: I have heard some rubbish being given to newcomers but I think that takes the biscuit!!:ermm:

If you feel like mentioning their name here (or by PM) I am sure we can organise a refresher course of how to pass on reliable information, for that person.:pirate: ~ Grahame.
 

leekiv

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Does ths person..................

Happen to own one of the stores that sells these litre bottles??? Think it may explain why he said this??? Just a thought.;)
 

Chris

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Oct 21, 2002
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From time to time a water bottling plant may be closed as it does not pass inspection. So, check where the water comes from (the bottling plant) and do a search whether the specific water bottling plant has had inspection problems in the past. The rumor mill never forgets one bad inspection ;)
 

Otter

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Nov 20, 2005
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Wow, an angry mob. Get a rope! No the guy who gave me the information is a good guy, perhaps over protective. I noticed in their house they only drink from the smaller liters and so I asked him. He said you would probably be OK drinking from the "cooler bottles", but that he did not entirely trust that they were not filled with "agua de la manguera". Anyway, I appreciate this board and all the advice.
 

DavidZ

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Well...keep in mind, unless you're drinking Dasani.. the liter bottles are bottled pretty much from the same places and in the same way as the cooler bottles..so what would be the difference? Besides the fact that the liter is 20 pesos and the 5 GALLON is 25 pesos...
 

Tamborista

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Apr 4, 2005
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Coca Cola bottles Dasani, take a look at the address on a can of coke next time! I bet the "imported" Dasani water is just as pure as the homegrown.

I drink that 5 gallon stuff and never get sick.

tambo'
 

Conchman

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Jul 3, 2002
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The 5 gallon stuff would be fine, despite occasional reports that they are filled with tap water when their R/O machines break down.

Also, some local hotels here get supplied water by water trucks when the water company runs out of water (happens more often than you think). I have seen the same trucks fill up water at the river, hopefully this is not how they supply the hotels. It could explain mysterious sicknesses at these hotels though.
 

moviemouth

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Jul 12, 2005
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Over $10,000

Once you have an account open in DR, you can transfer any amount to it and you will not be asked for an explanation of the source. However, if you use cash to open the account, and the amount exceeds $10,000, you will have to provide proof of origin. Anyway, this has been my experience with ScotiaBank. While the laws in DR are uniform, there is some variance in the way different banks understand and apply them.
 

Capt. Rob57

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Mar 22, 2006
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Water

Having owned a food processing plant in the U.S for many years he is some advice. Since most of the 5 gallon bottles are stored outside in the sun with the potienal to grow bacteria one should always place five drops of clorox in the bottle clorox is a very pure form of bleach. The odor and after taste will disapate within a few hours and kill 99% of any critters.
 

Me_again

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Nov 21, 2004
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On the other hand ...

Whoever it was that gave you the information re 5 Gall water bottles being unsafe for drinking purposes should IMMEDIATELY be removed from your friendship/informants lists. I have heard some rubbish being given to newcomers but I think that takes the biscuit!!

In March I watched a couple of guys outside a "super" in Sosua transferring water from one of those big jugs into another empty one. Apparently the original one had a leak. They then clumsied the plastic cap back on and put the refill on the rack with the good jugs. The transfer was by no means sterile and frankly I'll not trust the big jugs for drinking ever again unless the plastic cap looks perfectly installed. Even then . . .