cafetero
4/2/2017 20:06 EST
This question came up on another thread which was too long and convoluted to continue, so I opened a new thread.
NO, quite frankly, Colombian water is not fit to drink all the time and in all parts of Colombia.
1. The water comes from the rivers. Go smell the rivers and look at the trash and dead stuff floating in there and you´ll get an answer to your question very quickly. Think Medellin is safe from it? Go down close to the Río Medellin and look and smell. You won´t like it I assure you. Sometimes even raw sewerage floaties.
2. When there is a drought the water sources shrink in volume thus concentrating the contaminants.
3. There are no Clean Water laws in Colombia. People indiscriminately dump everything in the street and the street drains go directly to the nearest creek or river. I´ve seen them pour paint and paint thinner, engine oil, dog crap, all kinds of pollutants running down the gutters when it rains hard, as it does pretty much every day for a few minutes, especially in the winter.
4. When you get up first thing in the morning and turn on the tap you can smell the water. Sometimes has a rotten egg or rusty iron odor, sometimes strong chemical odor like paint thinner, sometimes heavy doses of Chlorine. All are bad for your digestive system and all are carcinogens when mixed with other pollutants.
5. After a heavy rain you can pour the tap water through a paper coffee filter and watch the paper filter turn brown.
6. Water in the fincas is worse. Many finca houses have water barrels on the roof with stale water and all kinds of stuff floating in there. Many fincas also don´t have real septic systems. They just let run off flow to the nearest brook. Cattle, pigs, chickens are not fenced out of the water sources, fecal matter floaties everywhere.
7. A similar problem exists in many cities and towns in the US. Pollution is everywhere. Google water safety and read about thousands of American cities and towns that have contaminated water with hundreds of different chemical and organic pollutants.
The only solution is to filter your own water. When I´m traveling I carry a pitcher filter with me. At home I install a whole house filter under the kitchen sink, or at the very least a water filter on the faucet. Cost only a couple hundred pesos and takes an hour or so to install. Then change the filter regularly and as needed, especially after heavy rain.
.
Post a Reply
 0 0 abuse
|
|
Bobfrozen1
4/2/2017 20:14 EST
Not to start another s**t storm but the water in both Medellin and Bogota is safe to drink. Anywhere else probably not.
I have never smelled odors or seen rust coming out of my faucet here in Medellin.
Thanks for the opinionated information though.
Post a Reply
 0 0 abuse
|
|
|
|
cafetero
4/2/2017 20:32 EST
Buy a test kit and test the water and be appalled at the results. No, it´s not fit to drink. Sorry.
Sure you can drink it, but do you really want to be injecting yourself with poison every time you drink a glass of water?
I´m opinionated on this topic because of my background in organic chemistry. But, please don´t just take my word for it or discount it out of hand. Google it and be amazed at the thousands of scientific studies. For every one Flint disaster there are hundreds of thousands of lesser disasters happening every day in all parts of the world, including US and Europe and including Colombia.
The upside of filtering your own water, aside from not putting carcinogens in your body 8 times a day, is that the filtered water actually tastes good (in the absence of bad) and you will get the best tasting coffee and tea you every had.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
livinginmedellin
4/2/2017 20:33 EST
Yes, I agree with @Bobfrozen1, the water in Medellín and Bogotá is safe to drink.
EPM manages ten water treatment plants across the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley for Medellín. Consistent and adequate precipitation in the surrounding basins usually ensures that nearby water basins feeding the Medellín area can store approximately 178 billion cubic meter of water for the Metropolitan Area of the Aburrá Valley. See more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_urban_water_management_in_Medell%C3%ADn
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
WhoaNellie
4/2/2017 20:34 EST
As I posted in the other thread, the water in Cali is just fine. They treat it well, my sister-in-law is a water quality analyst for Emcali, and in addition to her assurances we have test reports showing it is very good.
Most of the rivers that feed the treatment plants are a mess, though. And the treatment plants are often shut down when it rains too much or too little, and service in one part of the city or another is often interrupted for all kinds of reasons. It's rare when a week or two goes by without a shutdown somewhere.
Here's another article in addition to the one I posted in the other thread, that points out many of the problems but that concludes, when treated, the water is well within safe limits for all contaminants:
http://www.elpais.com.co/cali/que-tan-buena-es-el-agua-que-consumen-los-calenos.html
I have never had any qualms or problems drinking the water in Cali.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
cafetero
4/2/2017 21:09 EST
I understand what you are saying. I live in a city where the water is ¨safe¨ to drink also.
Nonetheless, when you compare the tap water before and after filtering it you will see and taste the difference.
An inexpensive water test kit will indicate your water really isn´t safe to drink after all.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
|
|
Bobfrozen1
4/2/2017 21:38 EST
@cafetero. Why don't you provide alternate certified test results to the forum to prove your "professional" opinion.
Maybe you should come to Medellin, Bogota, and Cali to test the water and post the results.
It would be much appreciated.
I'll buy you lunch while your here in Medellin.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
tubes
4/2/2017 21:39 EST
The water in Manizales is the best I have experienced anywhere in the world.
It only gets a bit murky if the rust in the iron pipes gates shaken up by and earthquake or major plumbing works,.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
Elexpatriado
4/2/2017 21:46 EST
I have been drinking the water directly from the llaves, for at least 13 years, in all parts of Colombia. Never had any issue.
Had food poisoning a few times, thats another issue.
Of course my stomach was "expat hardened" a long time ago.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
|
|
happytraveler
4/2/2017 22:40 EST
Your friendly troll here. I agree about those stinking buses. In all of my years living in/visiting Popayan I have never had a problem with the water. Of course to be safe use a filter and it does make the water taste better.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
|
|
BrandonBP
4/2/2017 23:14 EST
"In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria."
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
Kee
4/3/2017 07:57 EST
I've never taken special precautions in Armenia. However, a few months ago in the local paper (La Cronica Del Quindio) it was revealed that there were "bugs" (I don't remember the specific scientific name) found in the treated water. For adults there is no grave danger but for children under four years possible serious medical problems could result.
Sounds scary but people here don't seem too concerned, although most I know filter their tap water.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
Jimbeam7
4/3/2017 09:10 EST
I've been drinking tap water all over Colombia for ten years without a problem including at my small town finca. That said there are some pueblos that have bad water best to ask first outside of the cities.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
dandl93
4/3/2017 11:10 EST
The water in my small town is ok to drink and I have for years.with that said I do have a filter on my refri and only drink from there.The rest of the house I do not filter.
One thing no one has brought up is if you have a tank reserve on top of your house I would not drink the water.These tanks are a breeding area for bacteria.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
Elexpatriado
4/3/2017 12:42 EST
As far as "bugs"there are costeffective ways municipalities can get rid of these. Chlorination, UV treatment, Biological filters.Not high tech.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
Elexpatriado
4/3/2017 12:45 EST
it has almost always been through several processes, including fine filterig , at the WTP.
Only thing might pick up in the interum is pipe scale. Good to have a little iron in your diet.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
dumluk
4/3/2017 13:13 EST
Hahaha........right.....organic iron but not pipescale.....just clog up your system..I drink the water here in upcountry Chiriqui, but its from a beautiful spring high in the mountains, but still requires filtering.......So my spring water here is double filtered and tastes great.....I cant drink the water in David cuz it reeks of chlorine.....Its just river water and then chlorinated and maybe even floridated....Hard to get that info.......But I would only drink it in emergencies....I always carry water with me....And all my trips to Colombia I drank filtered water bought cheaply in big plastic bags....Nobody drinks the tap water in Cartagena or Santa marta or at least I got that impression.......Same story on the coast in Ecuador. Almost everybody buys bottled filtered water.....very few places where you can really trust the water.....I would think in Manizales, Armenia, Salento you should have great springwater sources which would pose no threat but I would STILL want to filter it........Fasted way to attack a metro population would be thru its water sources..........How available are decent water filters on the Colombian market or should it be imported? Remember, there was an American General who not too long ago stated that the next major wars will be wars over water.........Cant overestimate the importance of it............
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
novato1953
4/3/2017 13:17 EST
When there's something in the water it tends first to further disable before killing the already weak and those exposed on either side of the life expectancy bell curve. Do you feel lucky about your liver today? Act according to your answer.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
bigjailerman
4/3/2017 14:18 EST
One of the things that we went through often in Monteria was whenever there is an upstream water pipe work and we get multiple loss of water or very low pressure is very unsafe time to drink faucet water. Water needs to be on for a while and it needs to run for a bit.. Additionally if your block/house is the end of a pipe run the water is more contaminated than being in the middle of a run. Same as the US..
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
Visitando
4/3/2017 17:11 EST
Chlorine itself is a major problem in water supplies. Its purpose is to kill bacteria, and that is exactly what it does, in the water supply and in digestive tract. The bacteria in the human digestive tract are what breaks down the food particles and makes the nutrients available to the body. If the bacteria are killed by over-chlorination of the water supply then the intestines will be essentially dead, unable to dissolve or digest food, thus leaving the person under-nourished.
If the body is alternating between loose stools and constipation, that is a sign of a digestive tract suffering from under-population of the correct bacteria or over-population of incorrect bacteria.
Chlorine is very bad for humans at normal strengths in water supplies, but if you can smell it in your drinking water that is deadly.
Contaminants from things such as engine oil and antifreeze and paint thinner that are carcinogenic are not removed by the various water treatment methods common in a third world water treatment plant. Mostly the third world water treatment plants just use large paper or ceramic filters to remove the organic particles, then chlorinate the rest in an effort to kill all bacteria, both good and bad.
UV does very little to kill bacteria in water that has organic particles, because the UV light does not reach all sides of the organic particle.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
SkyMan
4/3/2017 17:31 EST
I filter my water too...but I also did the same thing when I lived in the U.S. and also when I lived in Ecuador. It tastes good and I am healthy...but that's just me. Tranquilo. Buena Suerte a todos !
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
dumluk
4/3/2017 20:10 EST
This will be of course be another thread, but tell me please. Where do you prefer? Ecuador or Colombia? Having lived in both...........I was thinking Ecuador, but Colombia has obvious advantages..........but a horrible bureaucracy.........Which country is more doable? Colombia or Ecuador......? Ok, back to water..........at the moment in the form of mediocre Pana beer........
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
1Firebird
4/4/2017 19:30 EST
Hello folks. Thanks for all the interesting responses regarding drinking water. I have read that the water is potable in Medellin. But I am asking specifically about the water in Cali, which is where I'm heading. Any updates?
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
1Firebird
4/4/2017 19:38 EST
Whoanellie- Sorry, I just found your post about the Cali water. Thanks very much. It sounds like a filter is probably a good way to go , never the less. I usually drink a lot of water daily.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
WhoaNellie
4/4/2017 22:11 EST
You can buy bottled purified water, it's not like filtered tap water is your only option...
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
Epicatt2
4/5/2017 02:00 EST
Cafetero,
After reading thru this involved thread which has attracted many differing opinions, I have concluded that there still must be a few cities in Colombia with water that's safe to drink.
The tap water in most towns in Costa Rica is safe to drink and I've drunk it for nearly 40 years w/o a problem. Even so, I do filter my tap water at my apartment there, mostly because it makes it taste better and using it filtered produces a really great cup of fresh-brewed café. It's only a PUR faucet-end filter but it does remove that nasty chlorine taste from the water.
That said, there are some towns in CR with unsafe water but there is usually a sign erected by the roadside as you enter these towns alerting people to the lack of safe water there. So hey, aren't there any of these sorts of water warning signs in Colombia for towns with poor water?
Anyway Cafetero, back onto topic: What do you recommend folks use for a water filter? A pitcher type like BRITA, a faucet-end one like PUR. Or what?
I have also heard of solid carbon block type filters which are supposed to be among the better sorts, which can filter out most all of the offending contaminants and the smallest particulate stuff including microörganisms, pathogens, and certain pesticides.
One brand I was reading about is BERKEY ( http://www.berkeywaterfiltersystem.com ) which offers several sizes of portable gravity-fed filtration systems. I will wait a while and prolly go with one of their smaller models since new ones are a bit pricey but I can get a 'scratch&dent' of the model I want for quite a bit cheaper when they occasionally show up.
So Cafetero, have you ever seen this brand (BERKEY) available in Colombia?
Just FYI, I have no stake in this company. I've mentioned it only because it looks like a qualtiy product that will filter water thoroughly.
Regards,
Paul M.
==
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
cafetero
4/5/2017 03:36 EST
Water has no flavor. So, if it tastes bad that means it is contaminated, yes? If you can taste the chlorine that means there is too much chlorine which will kill the beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract as pointed out by visitando. But, if you can´t taste the chlorine then you have no way of knowing if there is enough in there to kill the harmful bacteria in the water. So, in my opinion, better safe than sorry, filter it. Or as whoa nellie says buy bottled water.
By the way, you can buy a gallon of bottled water for about the same price you would pay for a 16 ounce bottle. Or you can buy the five gallon jugs with a spigot and buy one of the support stands to sit it on your countertop.
Overall though it is cheapest to filter your own.
The water filters I buy are Grival and they are available in Home Center. The faucet type, or the pitcher type are the least expensive but lowest volume.
The whole house filers that you put under the sink are more effective and cheaper long term. The dual chamber whole house filters are best and most expensive but they last the longest.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
bigjailerman
4/5/2017 09:16 EST
I also use under the sink type. Be aware there are different filters, some are more for rust and segment and other more biological safe.
The one thing that always gets me that people say, oh the water is fine, I've been drinking it for years... Nothing happened Lmfao.
How can anyone gauge that, how long do you think your immunity works? The health effects of drinking contaminated water can range from no physical impact to severe illness or even death. Some of the effects of drinking contaminated water can be immediate, or not noticed for many years.
I would never make myself a Guinea pig. My two and a half cents.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
Epicatt2
4/5/2017 18:58 EST
So Cafetero, ¿qué me cuentas?
Are you familiar with any solid carbon filters/filtration systems?
To your knowledge are there any of them available in Colombia?
I ask because it would be easier to buy one there rather than haul one down.
Just curious....
Paul M.
==
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
cafetero
4/5/2017 20:23 EST
The choice of filters at Home Center in Colombia is pretty similar to what you would see in Home Depot or Lowe´s in the US, including carbon and the two part systems that have one canister for rust and sediment and other for bacteria, even the sand tanks are available although for a single household thats a bit overkill.
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
Epicatt2
4/6/2017 00:04 EST
Thanx Cafetero,
With the ample selection of water filter types there it sounds like the colombianos are far more savvy about the water problems there than we perhaps give them credit for.
Regards,
Paul M.
==
Post a Reply
00abuse
|
|
|
|
|
|
