Water Quality In Buenos Aires And Gba

[Girino]

A1: From the above mention AYSA information report. Water hardness in 2012 (the 2013 report still doesn't work for me) was 82.5 ppm.

A2: I haven't seen it in stores all though the do sell the tablets of pre measured cleaner / rinse aid. You can probably by liquid detergent from a cleaning product supply company. Tell them what you want to use it for and ask them to recommend a product to you based on those needs.

Normal liquid detergents should not be used in the dishwasher. They would make a ton of bubbles and overflow the machine.
I am now using a teaspoon of Finish powder, which is 1/4th of the suggested dose and it works perfectly.

 

[ARbound]

The water quality in our building is terrible. It's legally fit for human consumption (to Argentine standards of course) and only comes out brown every few months, but
I try with all my might to never drink it since it smells and tastes disgusting. It's not chlorine or fluoride that evil third reich chemical as BAExapts knows it that tastes bad,
it's something else, even when it's cold is still gross.

I wanted to get one of those dual use water filters that screws on to the faucet, but I'm not sure if even it would do the trick.

 

[Girino]

I try with all my might to never drink it since it smells and tastes disgusting. It's not chlorine or fluoride that evil third reich chemical as BAExapts knows it that tastes bad,
it's something else, even when it's cold is still gross.

In Olivos at the in-laws it was like drinking pool water. I was disgusted even to wash my mouth with it. They drank it, naturally, and even made apple juice with those prepped powder they sell here. Terrible, disgusting. It should be a crime to give it to drink to animals, as well.

Here in San Isidro it is better, not completely tasteless, but at least I can't smell it as disgusting like in Olivos. I never tried to drink it, yet.
I believe there is a tank somewhere because there was a post about a building pump...

 

[PhilipDT]

Normal liquid detergents should not be used in the dishwasher. They would make a ton of bubbles and overflow the machine.
I am now using a teaspoon of Finish powder, which is 1/4th of the suggested dose and it works perfectly.

Right you are but many producers also formulate low sud products for mechanical washing. Just ask.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

The water quality depends on the source being the worst the undergrownd one. San Martín and la matanza have this.
There No3 used to be 40 ppm like in most countries of europe. You can drink it until 45 ppm.
Because of this, the contract with the privated company was cancel and now it is a State company.
However, if the water comes from the River, Then it is very soft: 1.5 kh, almost no calcium neither magnesium. No3 is about 5 ppm. (No3 means excrement).
They use chloride to kill Escherichia coli and dengue in summer time. They do not use chloramides. The first evaporates, the second doesn t.
Soft water doesn t taste so good. But the quality is good.
To clean the water deposit is the key.
If you want a real filter, buy the ones the are under the sink with a huge deposit for carbón and with uv filter.
Lack of manteinance in water tanks means that they migh be open and birds can drink from it. They Also leave excrements with parasites that only an uv filter kills.
Another option is to pay for a water test to a laboratory. It is not expensive.
Water is bad at Córdoba where it is naturally polluted with arsenic.

 

[Redpossum]

The water quality depends on the source being the worst the undergrownd one. San Martín and la matanza have this.
No3 used to be 40 pon like in most countries of europe. You can drink it until 45 ppm.
However, if the water comes from the River, Then it is very soft: 1.5 kh, almost no calcium neither magnesium. No3 is about 5 ppm. (No3 means excrement).
They use chloride to kill Escherichia coli and dengue in summer time. They do not use chloramides. The first evaporates, the secon doesn t.
Soft water doesn t taste good. But the quality is good.
To clean the water deposit is important.
If you want a real filter, buy the ones the are under the sink with a jugué deposit for carbón and with uv filter.
Lack of manteinance in water tanks means that they migh be open and birds can drink from it. They Also leave excrements with parasites that only an uv filter kills.
Another option is to pay for a water test to a laboratory. It is not expensive.
Water is bad at Córdoba where it naturally polluted with arsenic.

I can relate to almost all of this, being from a place, (San Diego County, in Southern California), where the water is full of minerals, and comes in large part from the Colorado River, which is polluted by radioactive run-off from an old nuclear storage site, among other things. In SD County, the water is treated with the chloramides you refer to, which cannot be evaporated or boiled off. And they just started adding flouride, (a toxic waste product of the aluminum refining industry), so I know about water problems.

Since I returned from overseas in 1978, I made a habit of buying water by the gallon from the dispenser machines, (bring your own container), which contain multiple treatment methods, including reverse osmosis, activated carbon, and UV. The price was 25 cents US per gallon (call it 3.85 liters) back in the day, and 35 cents US when I left a few months ago.

And I have noted that drinking water is a significant expense here. I wind up buying 2-liter bottles at the chino for 9 pesos, which works out to considerably more than 35 cents per gallon.

So what is the affordable solution, for a short-term rental?

 

[Joe]

And I have noted that drinking water is a significant expense here. I wind up buying 2-liter bottles at the chino for 9 pesos, which works out to considerably more than 35 cents per gallon.

Not to mention all the waste these plastic bottles make. Last time I made a trip to the states I brought back a Brita Pitcher and 6 water filters. But since I move around a lot it is no longer with me...

 

[Bajo_cero2]

You don t need to buy water if you live un capital federal. Just talk with the portero about how clean is the tank.
The carbón gets saturated too fast. Only in the big under sink filters it makes sense.

 

[ArielFabian]

I prefer to drink cold water from the AYSA network directly (without a tank in the middle, I use the tank only for hot water) than buying water in a supermarket since I do not believe that a bottled water comes from a pure source of water transported many kilometers inside a big clean truck . However, when I stay in an apartment with a shared tank, I prefer to buy water in the supermarket or having a water filter than trusting the doorman that the tank is 100% clean (I prefer not to take risks). The AYSA water network in Capital Federal suppose to be very good, I am still alive at least, and I have drunk water from the tap always (If I am not here tomorrow you will know the reason ); looks like fresh, clean, water, even better than bottled water; however, In Buenos Aires province the story is different, in many places I know there not even water networks, there are "pozos de agua" (wells), sometimes not even cloak systems in many zones.

Also check the quality of your pipes, very old lead pipes of more than 80 years can cause serious damages (I do not think a filter will help in this case), having thermo-fusion pipes is better IMHO.

 

[Joe]

PSA has a booth set up in the concourse of the big Jumbo/Easy in Palermo on Bullrich. I think the lady said the lease expensive unit was ~$1500.