If You Don't Drink the Water?

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Bash

I do a lot of my research in Baja. As part of this, a couple years ago I was staying in a hotel in Los Cabos that had its own water desalinization system. And yet the hotel still supplied bottled water in the rooms. I asked the manager why they did this, and he responded, "For the Americans." Incredulous, I explained that the water from his desalinization system was probably more pure than the bottled water. "I know that, Professor," he replied, "but the Americans will not drink it."

did you see where from the rest of baja gets water?? i have friends there and they have lived in baja for years--the water folks not in hotels get is from nasty springs with much debris on top--place the pump under the nasty surface and pump into a cisterna some water for washing clothes and selves. go home. place scisterna at house. go buy bottles of water for drinking, take home and place in cool ark place.....
mainland is som better, but the mexicans donot drink this water, so why should i??

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

The most elaborate water supply protocol I've ever seen!

.

Anyone heading out would be smart to copy his system.

I have seen him post this before and have it (even more in depth) saved.

Thanks Mark!

[micah719]

Originally Posted by Mark Johnson

Here's the solution:

We, ALWAYS have good tasting and SAFE tank water.
DOCKSIDE: We use an RV or boat "potoble water" garden hose. (not any of the others, which all taste bad, and contain lead).

Before filling our boat's 3 polyethylene tanks, this water is run through a high quality but standard (under the sink) carbon block filter, which we attach to the far (boat) end of the garden hose. This removes 95+ % of the chemicals, including chlorine.

If it will be stored, and not consumed within a week, we then add chlorine to each tank. This way, it is fine, for 6 months or more!

Then, at the sink, we have a separate tap connected to a SeaGull filter. This removes bad taste, chemicals, that "added chlorine", and any bacteria that may have been collecting within our system during storage.

It now taste fine, but "flat" like distilled. For coffee & cooking we go with it, but for a good tasting glass of water, we add a few drops of "Roxtract" minerals. It is now FAR better than land based water supplies, and doesn't fill the world's landfills with even more unnecessary plastic bottles.

OUT CRUISING, IN CLEAR WATER: Our watermaker fills the tanks, (similar to the above), and we top them off daily, which covers us for a month, if the watermaker craps out.

ANCHORED OUT IN DIRTY HARBORS, WITH UNSAFE WATER ASHORE: This is where the watermaker should not be used, and land based tap supplies are unsafe. (WE STILL DO NOT BUY BOTTLED WATER)! In this case, we dink ashore with 2.5 gallon jugs, and fill them from a hose bib that is now connected to our portable "ceramic" Katadyne bacteriostatic water filter. This makes even "Montezuma's revenge" water, perfectly safe. REALLY!

In the worst case, where the water ashore is not potable, like the case above, AND the 3rd world water pressure is too low to use our very restrictive ceramic filter when filling our jugs, this is what we do... We fill the jugs ashore, unfiltered, dinghy it out to the boat, and pump it into the tanks but THROUGH that ceramic, bacteriostatic filter.

To accomplish this... We have our "spare" main water system pressure pump, with a strainer and small accumulator tank, attached to a 1' square plank of Starboard. This pressure pump has quick connect hose connections, so the filter connects to the "H2O out" side, and then leads into the tanks. The "in" side of the portable pump, has a short 3' hose, that we drop into the jugs that we just brought from shore. This little unit is powered by the boat, through a short #12 wire, with cigarette lighter plug on the end. It cycles on and off until the jug is transferred. Then, we switch tanks...

We rarely use this last resort, but it IS there when we need it, and I was planning to carry a spare ships pressure pump anyway.

For 15 years spent as a full time liveaboard, over the last 40, and often living anchored out in 3rd world countries, I have NEVER had to buy bottled water. Our water is SAFE, taste great, and we are "treading lightly on the planet" at the same time, by NOT buying bottled water. Even when living ashore, we use our own SS bottles, and fill them, "filtered", from a tap.

Bottled water is an unnecessary environmental disaster, on many levels. If you research why, you'll see what I mean.

Hope this helps,
M.

Thanks for this gem of a post! Btw, what kind of quick connectors do you use?

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by mrohr

And now for the low-tech solution:
I throw a capful of Chlorox in my tank every fill up. Any smell of the chlorox will dissipate after a day; never a problem. Younger wife only drinks bottled water ,but so far I'm outliving her.

It will help but does not *guarantee* you safe water.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by zeehag

raku--if you think o f mexico water as being clean, you drink it--is dirty with oily substances and dirt particles as well as bacteria from feces. so-- have a great time drinking local mexican water.

i do not drink my tank water but i do boil it for food prep an d for coffee after i filter it many times --2 before it enters my tanks and one after--and that is for boiling.
usa has places wherein giardia is common in the tap water. one does not build up immunities to giardia. there are other random bacteria and fungi and viruses that folks with impaired immune systems CANNOT ingest that are contained in water in usa.
especially in cities.
to each his own. some folks do drink mexico water, but they have a tendency to need frequent trips to bathrooms. there are 2 kinds of purification here--"natural"--you do NOT want to drink that---is a trots kind of thing, and the kind done in a center--that is drinkable. found in 5 gallon bottles and only 25 pesos for a 5 gallon returnable bottle. one also does not want to drink ice here. is not purified water--lol

Most of Mexico's water is safe and not full of feces, but if you go to out of the way places that won't be true. Please don't twist words.

Giardia is not "common" in public drinking water. There have been breakouts and the sources were identified. I think it's a given that we weren't talking about people with compromised immune systems. Those people know to be especially careful (having been there, I am aware of what the doctors and nurses tell such people).

But you are kind of making my point -- you cannot count on the water in your tank being safe just because you threw in a little chlorine. What's growing in the hoses? What's growing in tiny cracks that for whatever reason, the chlorine got to?

And, just as we build up resistance to things, micro-organisms can -- even to pesticides and things that should be poisonous to them.

Even rain water isn't clean as it comes down, although a better source of "safe" water than some. Each drop of rain forms around some kind of particle of dust or other substance. Rain water should be filtered.

Let's not bicker, Zee.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by sww914

I'm just wondering, what drinking water source IS safe in your opinion?

Who are you asking?

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Bash

I do a lot of my research in Baja. As part of this, a couple years ago I was staying in a hotel in Los Cabos that had its own water desalinization system. And yet the hotel still supplied bottled water in the rooms. I asked the manager why they did this, and he responded, "For the Americans." Incredulous, I explained that the water from his desalinization system was probably more pure than the bottled water. "I know that, Professor," he replied, "but the Americans will not drink it."

That's because people are routinely told to drink bottled water in Mexico.

The famous "Montezuma's Revenge" doesn't mean the water was "dirty." It means it had different bugs in it than the bugs common in American water supplies. The locals have built up immunity to those bugs; we have built up immunity to our bugs.

[thompsonisland]

Rakuflames, what did medical professionals tell you when you were immunocompromised?

Also, I have to think "Beaver Fever" is as old as the hills. Growing up, we never drank stream water.

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by thompsonisland

Rakuflames, what did medical professionals tell you when you were immunocompromised?

They told me to boil water at home, and to drink bottled water or drinks when out.

[thompsonisland]

I can't remember if they told me that. I know I was supposed to wear a mask and gloves everywhere, but I was regularly amazed by what the hospital dietitians didn't know about food and immune system issues. I remember they didn't want me to eat anything raw.

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by thompsonisland

My boat has Monel tanks and plastic lines. Fresh water comes on board via the marina garden hose.

I am not comfortable drinking water from most municipal supplies, or that has been through a hose. So, I need a plan. For now, I buy bottled water for the bost, or, if it's a short trip, bring well water from home in glass and steel.

There are counter top RO systems, but I don't know if they remove plasticizers and the water must be remineralized (I can get mineral additives or add a little sea salt or bone stock, maybe, and in few circumstances could maybe add sea water).

There are desalinatinators but they are expensive and I worry about seawater quality many places (Would use one in the Arctic, sure).

There are bottles but that's still plastic and waste, plus if it isn't a spring then it is RO(see above).

What do you do?

"Mandrake, have you never wondered why I drink only distilled water, or rain water, and only pure grain alcohol?" -- BrigGen Jack D. Ripper, USAF

[sww914]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

Who are you asking?

I was asking the OP. He had mentioned quite a few questionable sources and I was wondering if there were any that seemed safe to him. He answered none really except from an actual spring. He's probably mostly right but like I said, I have bigger health problems to worry about...

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

It will help but does not *guarantee* you safe water.

Not sure what kind of guarantees you expect in life but there are no known bacteria or viruses that can survive in chlorinated water. There are none that have "built" an immunity to chlorine. Only a few fungi that are extremely rare can survive. And those die if one "shocks" the system. Hoses get the same treatment once the water from the chlorinated tank enters them.

Quit worrying so much about tap water even.

There are millions drinking it every day all around us.

Even if it sits in the tank for weeks it is fine.

Just so I don't get into a long, drawn out, stupid argument I will end by saying;

I know everybody gets to do what they want with their water. I also know they also get to believe what they want to believe. Some may want to just say a prayer over the tank - Fine! But there are some facts about water that they choose to ignore. Fine!

[thompsonisland]

It's a question of what I can control, really. Water filtration is relatively easy and possible anywhere in the world if I have the equipment. I don't tolerate grains or most legumes or pasteurized dairy very well, and I'm sensitive to CAFO meat and gmo foods. However, I also can't starve, so there are times when I have to compromise. Therefore, I control what I can. Certainly, some people have bigfer fish to fry. I think focusing on this stuff can be really depressing and debilitating, too. It's important not to let that happen. As i said earlier, it all comes down to quality of life. I agree with the folks who say that the benefits of sailing often put one ahead of the curve on enough fronts to compensate for the downside.

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by sww914

I was asking the OP. He had mentioned quite a few questionable sources and I was wondering if there were any that seemed safe to him. He answered none really except from an actual spring. He's probably mostly right but like I said, I have bigger health problems to worry about...

Actual spring?

There are multiple "actual springs" that are contaminated with heavy metals and other contaminants naturally.

Water Science for Schools: Groundwater quality