Santo Domingo tap water

[nekokatt]

(Serralles Piatini - an upper class area)

Good to be back in the DR after 4 years

only articles I can find in forum or elsewhere are 5+ years old

Can Tap Water be used for:

1) Brushing teeth
2) Washing dishes
3) Coffee/Tea (boiled in the coffee maker)
4) washing fruits / vegetables eaten raw

In CDMX, I do. except after first wash, also used bottled or filtered (forgot to bring filter) water as final rinse for #4

gracias

PS: at home in the US, have Big Berkey, specifically to remove the government's legal poison Fluoride

 

[Big]

I NEVER risk it. However some will say they drink it from the tap. I would rather get covid19 then one of those nasty intestinal bugs. Although they are great for losing a quick 8 to 10 pounds.

 

[Gadfly]

I never allow Dominican tap water to enter my boca. Never got sick from water 8+ yrs now.

 

[Gadfly]

1) Brushing teeth - nope
2) Washing dishes - yes (DRIED WELL)
3) Coffee/Tea (boiled in the coffee maker) nope
4) washing fruits (same as #2) / vegetables eaten raw - nope (botellóns are cheap)

 

[josh2203]

I never allow Dominican tap water to enter my boca. Never got sick from water 8+ yrs now.

1) Brushing teeth - nope
2) Washing dishes - yes (DRIED WELL)
3) Coffee/Tea (boiled in the coffee maker) nope
4) washing fruits (same as #2) / vegetables eaten raw - nope (botellóns are cheap)

Echoing above... The OP said that they've have been here before so not sure why something this drastic would have changed in 4 years?

 

[NanSanPedro]

If I was by myself, yes. But because every Haitian and gringo I've been with on the island won't drink it, I've always drunk bottled water. For coffee, oatmeal, and teeth brushing, the tap stuff is fine.

 

[aarhus]

If I was by myself, yes. But because every Haitian and gringo I've been with on the island won't drink it, I've always drunk bottled water. For coffee, oatmeal, and teeth brushing, the tap stuff is fine.

I also brush teeth with it lol but then again just had ameba again but it didn’t get to be that bad so didn’t experience the crash diet and didn’t loose weight.

 

[Aguaita29]

Tap water is okay for brushing your teeth and washing dishes. I wouldn't use it for coffee. washing vegetables, or anything that I'm going to eat or drink, unless, it's going to be boiling for while.

 

[NotLurking]

I've been here since 1999 and use tap water for pretty much everything with a few exceptions. At home I drink bottle water Crystal or Planeta Azul exclusively. when I'm out & about it's Dasani. For washing vegetables it's filtered city water with a few drops of Clorox.

 

[MariaRubia]

A few years ago I read that the director of CAASD was saying that the water in Santo Domingo was fit to drink, and that's what people drink in hospitals and prisons evidently. So I bought three separate water testing kits on Amazon, tested the water in my apartment and hey ho it passed.

So for a week I used tap water to make hot drinks like coffee. Always boiling the water.

And, you've guessed it, I then got a dodgy stomach and decided that the experiment was over.

 

[JD Jones]

A few years ago I read that the director of CAASD was saying that the water in Santo Domingo was fit to drink, and that's what people drink in hospitals and prisons evidently. So I bought three separate water testing kits on Amazon, tested the water in my apartment and hey ho it passed.

So for a week I used tap water to make hot drinks like coffee. Always boiling the water.

And, you've guessed it, I then got a dodgy stomach and decided that the experiment was over.

The water coming out of their plants is fit to drink; it's the less-than-perfect pipes that allow contaminants to enter.

CAASD is slowly but surely coming into the 21st century. I won't mention where they post their achievements (lol) but they post pictures of the water lines they are repairing/replacing throughout the country on a daily basis.

 

[NotLurking]

So for a week I used tap water to make hot drinks like coffee. Always boiling the water.

And, you've guessed it, I then got a dodgy stomach and decided that the experiment was over.

interesting. How unfortunate. In my household of 8, if I count my dogs and cat, we seem to be immune to any ills of consuming city water for all basic needs except drinking. The only difference from your use and mine that I see is that I use a filter.

That said, if you eat anything in any of the more interesting and questionable local eateries you're probably consuming city water in some form. After water boils waterborne intestinal pathogens are killed as explained here. When it comes to these matters it's best to exercise good judgement in relation to your tolerances. If you tend to be squimish and many things upset your stomach just use bottled water for the duration of your visit. If at some point you don't have an option other than city water boil it for a few minutes before use.

 

[MariaRubia]

The water coming out of their plants is fit to drink; it's the less-than-perfect pipes that allow contaminants to enter.

CAASD is slowly but surely coming into the 21st century. I won't mention where they post their achievements (lol) but they post pictures of the water lines they are repairing/replacing throughout the country on a daily basis.

You're making me feel old and disconnected JD!!!!

 

[MariaRubia]

interesting. How unfortunate. In my household of 8, if I count my dogs and cat, we seem to be immune to any ills of consuming city water for all basic needs except drinking. The only difference from your use and mine that I see is that I use a filter.

That said, if you eat anything in any of the more interesting and questionable local eateries you're probably consuming city water in some form. After water boils waterborne intestinal pathogens are killed as explained here. When it comes to these matters it's best to exercise good judgement in relation to your tolerances. If you tend to be squimish and many things upset your stomach just use bottled water for the duration of your visit. If at some point you don't have an option other than city water boil it for a few minutes before use.

Well you can't blame a girl for trying. As I mentioned, I was boiling the water first and I rarely get a bad stomach but that time I did.

 

[windeguy]

The dishes are washed with tap water. It is not used by me to brush teeth, make coffee or tea or wash anything that cannot be thoroughly dried well.

 

[AlterEgo]

How about those of you with wells? Ours was tested and had great results but it sits in either a cement cistern or rooftop plastic tinaco before entering the house. We add chlorine pucks in both, so we don’t drink or cook with it, but do wash dishes.
We have two bottellon dispensers. One is store bought water for drinking. The other 5 gallon bottle is filled directly from the well and we use that for coffee and cooking.

 

[LindseyKaufman]

I have a whole house water treatment system. But still, I use a filter in my refrigerator dispenser. My stomach is extremely delicate. I go to some restaurants and I am fine. Others, I always have problems afterwards. So probably, on the north coast, I can tell you what restaurants do not use treated water (several restaurants DO! They have signs on their door or menu.) What I always suspect is when restaurants serve you a drink. You never know if the glass was recently washed and not dried.

 

[Gadfly]

No ice in my drink please. And I’ll pass on the salads thank you very much.
But yes, if you can’t witness the washing yourself, you just never know with restaurants or dominicanas. Just roll with it sometimes & cross fingers…

 

[Duece]

I have lived in Cofresi for 20 years and in answer to the questions about using tap water my reply is I have used it for everything but to drink or make ice. This is from Coraapplata Water. Never gotten sick. I think it depends on where you get your water from.

 

[NanSanPedro]

I agree it depends on where you get your water from, but it's also how susceptible you are to the bacteria. I have always had a strong stomach and after spending time in Haiti, it got even stronger.