Drinking Tap Water

[Bajo_cero2]

all water in CABA comes from Rio de la Plata. In provinces, it depends on the location. Close to the river - from surface water, inland - municipal water supply wells. If the water network is not provided, private wells are used.

Caba yes. But not far (San Martin, La Matanza) comes from underground. You can see the plant potabilizadora just beside central market.

That water is very bad.

 

[RodalfoWalsh]

do what would you like, just make sure you have some Pepto handy

Well why don't you explain it to me. ive been drinking tap water here for years and never needed a pepto and I've never had anything come back on the water analysis from the guys who clean our house's tank. The one time I asked the tech he told me that the main point of cleaning was just for sediment and to make sure everything was working as designed and that in normal use water doesn't spend that much time in the tanks.

Why do you say that you should boil the water. Is it that aysa is lying about the results of their controls? Or is it contamination in the home?

 

[ASperansky]

Well why don't you explain it to me. ive been drinking tap water here for years and never needed a pepto and I've never had anything come back on the water analysis from the guys who clean our house's tank. The one time I asked the tech he told me that the main point of cleaning was just for sediment and to make sure everything was working as designed and that in normal use water doesn't spend that much time in the tanks.

Why do you say that you should boil the water. Is it that aysa is lying about the results of their controls? Or is it contamination in the home?

OK, let me explain. First of all, I am a hydrogeologist and I worked for environmental consulting firms (4 to be exact in the state of WA). Here, in Buenos Aires, I work for a local private environmental firm Intergeo Argentina SA as well. I do soil, surface, and groundwater testing at the sites, followed by remediation (although not necessarily). Usually the testing leads to a toxicity threshold of intake of a chemical and thus determines if there is any harm to a human health and/or environment. Working here, I learned that the test results could be erroneous for various reasons (luck of equipment, failure of the equipment, entering a wrong sample data, forging the results, etc.). I'm not saying that all of the above could not happen in the US, but with all the control from the overseeing agencies there, it's very rare. Here is a different story.

The coli bacteria could enter to your water tank with the feces of a pigeons, or any hotblooded animal. If you live in a private house and do test your tank regularly from the trusted lab, most likely, you are in the good shape. If any of the aforementioned is missing, you are in the higher risk. It just increases your chances to get sick. That is all.

Thank you.

 

[RodalfoWalsh]

The tanks aren't usually pigeon accessible.

I know the law in the city requires apartment buildings to have their tanks tested once a year. That's probably not frequently enough to be sure if there really is a serious risk of bacterial infection right?

I'm curious, since I am not an expert, if it doesn't mater how the tanks are sized? When we had the power go out we only made it 2 days when consciously trying to moderate water usage. With more normal use its probably around 1 day and since water drains from the bottom and is filled from the top it seems to me like unfavorable conditions for rampant bacteria growth, especially with the residual chlorine levels that the smell would seem to indicate. Or does that not really matter?

 

[ASperansky]

The tanks aren't usually pigeon accessible.

I know the law in the city requires apartment buildings to have their tanks tested once a year. That's probably not frequently enough to be sure if there really is a serious risk of bacterial infection right?

I'm curious, since I am not an expert, if it doesn't mater how the tanks are sized? When we had the power go out we only made it 2 days when consciously trying to moderate water usage. With more normal use its probably around 1 day and since water drains from the bottom and is filled from the top it seems to me like unfavorable conditions for rampant bacteria growth, especially with the residual chlorine levels that the smell would seem to indicate. Or does that not really matter?

Most of the environmental regulations here are copied from the west and it's OK, it works. The 1-year testing period for a drinking water supply is the western standard. In CABA, they are pretty good about following the regulations. If you have your tank tested every year, it's great, given that the results are not biased.

The tanks are constructed to prevent anything from entering outside and to prevent the bacteria growth, and yes, the size doesn't matter. Fore your safety, you do everything right. And on the contrary, I've never done my homework such as asking a building administration to show me the water test results (that is why I boil my water in my apartment). And I do smoke, btw, ugh

Just let me tell you that after 1.5 years of working here, I became very skeptical about QA/QC in Argentina. However, CABA is about 100% better than some of the places here, in Argentina, There are provinces with the strict regulations that are followed (e. g. Rio Negro) and some provinces, where would not even brush my teeth in the tap water (northern provinces, which are heavily contaminated with arsenic or some places in the Provincia de BA, like Tigre).

 

[ASperansky]

and sometimes the tanks are hermetical, sometimes there are not. just given how many roof leaks and so-so work I have encountered here.

 

[mmoon]

I came home once when my husband was taking a very hot shower and the smell of bleach in our apartment was overwhelming, I stopped drinking BA tap water from then on. This was in Belgrano.
Still trashes my hair.

 

[ASperansky]

I came home once when my husband was taking a very hot shower and the smell of bleach in our apartment was overwhelming, I stopped drinking BA tap water from then on. This was in Belgrano.
Still trashes my hair.

I use Ultra Swim shampoo, not regularly, once a week. It helps a lot. Thanks to Michelle (she advised me)

 

[camberiu]

Most of the environmental regulations here are copied from the west and it's OK, it works.

It might come as a shock to you, but Argentina is part of the "West".

 

[GMXam]

Shocked!!!

It might come as a shock to you, but Argentina is part of the "West".