# Water contamination inTulum?



## Greenlady (Feb 8, 2013)

Hi. Been quite awhile. We built a gorgeous home in Tulum just over a year ago and can't retire for another year or so. We have long term renters (thank you God!!!) who have discovered several problems (mostly plumbing grrr!). 

However the latest is something we didn't imagine given we were sold on how there was an endless supply of water. Okay, this is Mexico. From what our renters tell us , the water supply in Tulum is being inspected by the federal government and it appears is contaminated by raw sewage. Somehow this does not surprise me with the lack of standards. (No wonder it is so cheap to build there). This apparently came to light when many tourists returned to the U.S. with Hepatitis A.

Can anyone corroborate this or provide more information?


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Recently in Playa anyone going by a certain cenote were able to smell raw sewage around it.. One reason I did not purchase a home in Merida. 
Think about it, all these underground rivers running all over the northern Yucatan and probably most connected to each other and lots of building without a sewer system just septic systems that can possibly leech human waste into the ground and to the underground rivers...
It is probably to late to have a moratorium on new buildings but it not too late to build sewage treatment plants............


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

I don´t quite inderstand this thread. We live in the historic center of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas. The river that runs through that center is disgustingly filthy with raw sewage and stinks to high heaven all about the surrounding environs. We also live on Lake Chapala and walk our dogs there almost daily. It´s not as bad as it used to be when we moved here in 2001 but the raw sewage draining into that huge lake is appalling. 

One, if one has half a brain, does not drink the ground wáter here. So-called "purified" wáter is easily available in "garrafones" delivered by truck or available at a nearby store whereevr you live in Mexico. People in their right minds do not ever partake of tapwater here. Actually, ingesting wáter where versus beer or wine is not a great idea but we have lived here for 15 years drinking only purified wáter in garrafones or smaller bottles available at any store and, while, especially in Chiapas, we have experienced some serious illnesses, such is life among humans.

Do not trust anyone and _*NEVER *_drink tapwater in Mexico. Actually, looking back on it, I can´t believe I drank tapwater in the United States. Drink beer, I say


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Hound Dog said:


> ... _*NEVER *_drink tapwater in Mexico.


Excellent advice, HD! I will admit, though, to brushing my teeth with tap water, and so far (since 2007) have not suffered any ill effects.


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## cuerna1 (Mar 7, 2015)

Our well water is pretty good quality. We had it tested when we were thinking of putting a whole house filtration system in. They said the water was at least as good as the bottled water. But - we have still have been buying bottled water for drinking. We brush our teeth from the tap - no problems.

We did just buy a reverse osmosis system from Home Depot - 4200 pesos. It has four separate filters. We are having it installed at the kitchen sink and will stop buying bottled water. Neighbors have already done this and recommend it.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Agree 100% ...... Hepatitis A is from contaminated water or food and anyone drinking tap water in Mexico should wake up. If it has been that serious I would even wash/disinfect veggies in bottled water. Cheap insurance


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I did not read where the OP mentioned drinking water, 
I thought she was talking about tap water...
Maybe Dawg showers from a garrafon but I can not,LOL 
I guess showering in contaminated water is OK as long as you keep your mouth shut........


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

chicois8 said:


> I did not read where the OP mentioned drinking water,
> I thought she was talking about tap water...
> Maybe Dawg showers from a garrafon but I can not,LOL
> I guess showering in contaminated water is OK as long as you keep your mouth shut........


Who, pray tell, suggested I actually shower and keeping my mouth shut is a daunting task.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I believe that statement......


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## cuerna1 (Mar 7, 2015)

cuerna1 said:


> Our well water is pretty good quality. We had it tested when we were thinking of putting a whole house filtration system in. They said the water was at least as good as the bottled water. But - we have still have been buying bottled water for drinking. We brush our teeth from the tap - no problems.
> 
> We did just buy a reverse osmosis system from Home Depot - 4200 pesos. It has four separate filters. We are having it installed at the kitchen sink and will stop buying bottled water. Neighbors have already done this and recommend it.


Ok - 350 pesos for installation and our new reverse osmosis system is all setup.

btw : from the CDC website...

"Reverse Osmosis Systems

Reverse Osmosis Systems use a process that reverses the flow of water in a natural process of osmosis so that water passes from a more concentrated solution to a more dilute solution through a semi-permeable membrane. Pre- and post-filters are often incorporated along with the reverse osmosis membrane itself.
A reverse osmosis filter has a pore size of approximately 0.0001 micron.
Reverse Osmosis Systems have a very high effectiveness in removing protozoa (for example, Cryptosporidium, Giardia);
Reverse Osmosis Systems have a very high effectiveness in removing bacteria (for example, Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli);
Reverse Osmosis Systems have a very high effectiveness in removing viruses (for example, Enteric, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Rotavirus);
Reverse Osmosis Systems will remove common chemical contaminants (metal ions, aqueous salts), including sodium, chloride, copper, chromium, and lead; may reduce arsenic, fluoride, radium, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrate, and phosphorous."

Here's the link
CDC - A Guide to Drinking Water Treatment Technologies for Household Use - Camping, Hiking, Travel - Drinking Water - Healthy Water

And here is a link to the system we installed
Sistemas de Agua | Rotoplas - Purificador con Ósmosis Inversa


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Nice you got your RO installed but you do not shower at the kitchen sink...


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## cuerna1 (Mar 7, 2015)

chicois8 said:


> Nice you got your RO installed but you do not shower at the kitchen sink...


We are only concerned with our drinking water. And aside from the filter we have at the street the well also has filters. I feel pretty comfortable with our situation at the moment. Gosh - even in the States we were randomly subjected to boil water alerts. And that only concerned drinking water - obviously. 

We used to dive a lot. Off the coast of South Florida they run waste pipes out perhaps as much as 1/4 mile or so. I'll never forget one dive where someone flushed the recycling plant and the very clear water turned very murky. The trouble is - the warmer water breeds marine life, which makes for interesting dive sites. But you can never know when someone is going to flush.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Hound Dog said:


> I don´t quite inderstand this thread. We live in the historic center of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas. The river that runs through that center is disgustingly filthy with raw sewage and stinks to high heaven all about the surrounding environs. We also live on Lake Chapala and walk our dogs there almost daily. It´s not as bad as it used to be when we moved here in 2001 but the raw sewage draining into that huge lake is appalling.
> 
> One, if one has half a brain, does not drink the ground wáter here. So-called "purified" wáter is easily available in "garrafones" delivered by truck or available at a nearby store whereevr you live in Mexico. People in their right minds do not ever partake of tapwater here. Actually, ingesting wáter where versus beer or wine is not a great idea but we have lived here for 15 years drinking only purified wáter in garrafones or smaller bottles available at any store and, while, especially in Chiapas, we have experienced some serious illnesses, such is life among humans.
> 
> Do not trust anyone and _*NEVER *_drink tapwater in Mexico. Actually, looking back on it, I can´t believe I drank tapwater in the United States. Drink beer, I say


I have drunk spring water coming from hot springs in the bottom of the canyon on the northeast side of Guadalajara. The streams running off the surface into the canyon are disgusting. But there are hot springs that come out of the ground in the canyon bottom. Any ground water reaching them has been filtered through 500 meters of soil. It is hot, so not an ideal thirst-quencher but it tastes great when hiking in the canyon on a hot day without enough drinking water. And, in the absence of any testing, I believe it is perfectly safe.


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

I have a confession to make. It's a confession because it is NOT what I would generally recommend to others. No, I do not drink the tap water, but...

Tepoztlan has several community taps where people can fill up their garrafones. Apparently this is spring water which is piped from natural springs starting at source higher up the mountain (where no one is living, so no septic tanks, etc.) This is a different source than the municipal tap water or the _pipas_ which come to fill up the cistern. 

When my husband first went to fill up our garrafones at one of these public taps, I was not in agreement, sure we'd pick up some _bichito_ or other. He then pointed out that friends of ours whom we have often stayed with (before we bought our house) only use this water. I had been confidently drinking from their garrafones for years with no idea that this was the spring water from the community taps (I didn't even know about the taps). My husband assures me that the water is tested regularly (but he might just be trying to put my mind at ease...). Anyway, this is our source of drinking water, and so far we've stayed healthy.

Addendum: I just read TG's post after I had posted mine. Thanks, Tundra. Your opinion of spring water is reassuring.


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## vantexan (Sep 4, 2011)

It's strange that Nicaragua, the 2nd poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, has potable tapwater in it's biggest cities while most(all?) of Mexico does not. Is it just not possible given the size of the population and the percentage impoverished? There are far more extremely poor people in Mexico than the total population of Nicaragua.


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## cuerna1 (Mar 7, 2015)

ojosazules11 said:


> I have a confession to make. It's a confession because it is NOT what I would generally recommend to others. No, I do not drink the tap water, but...
> 
> Tepoztlan has several community taps where people can fill up their garrafones. Apparently this is spring water which is piped from natural springs starting at source higher up the mountain (where no one is living, so no septic tanks, etc.) This is a different source than the municipal tap water or the _pipas_ which come to fill up the cistern.
> 
> ...


We are at an elevation perhaps higher than the highest peak at Tepoztlan - but maybe 15 miles away. We live in an old volcanic crater - at a pretty high elevation.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

When I first moved to Paris in 1965 at age 23, I was advised to never drink the tap wáter so I survived on wine, cognac, aged cheese and ground liver. I´never drank the wáter but loved the wine and food and am now 73, 50 years later. Probably just plain luck.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_


vantexan said:



It's strange that Nicaragua, the 2nd poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, has potable tapwater in it's biggest cities while most(all?) of Mexico does not. Is it just not possible given the size of the population and the percentage impoverished? There are far more extremely poor people in Mexico than the total population of Nicaragua.

Click to expand...

_ The wáter coming from the springs in both Chapala and San Cristóbal is not impure and is considered safe to drink. What happens is that that wáter, of necessity, since it is only delivered periodically, sits in roof or underground wáter storage tanks and becomes contaminated as a result. Go on down to the store and buy youself a case of beer, Vantexan. You will not be disappointed by the result.


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

cuerna1 said:


> We are only concerned with our drinking water.


I understand that but I was addressing the original posters comments. you putting an RO kitchen sink faucet does nothing for them.


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## cuerna1 (Mar 7, 2015)

No ?


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## ojosazules11 (Nov 3, 2013)

cuerna1 said:


> We are at an elevation perhaps higher than the highest peak at Tepoztlan - but maybe 15 miles away. We live in an old volcanic crater - at a pretty high elevation.


I'm not sure precisely where in the mountains this spring water originates, but Tepoztlan is situated just at the edge of the Tepozteco National Park, a 24,000 hectare designated "Protected Natural Area" since 1937. I'm hoping that this protected area designation will provide protection against over-development and destruction of wilderness in this beautiful area, so we can continue to enjoy the clean fresh air and (hopefully) clean water we currently have. Our house is high enough up from town centre that when we drive up I occasionally notice my ears popping. It also means our place is always a bit cooler than down in the town centre, and even more so than in the Valle de Atongo.


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## Playaboy (Apr 11, 2014)

The government is always testing the water along the Riviera Maya. I wouldn't worry about it. Just don't drink it. The limestone geology is a great natural filter and most of the underground water is very clear and clean. 

Of greater concern than fecal contamination is amebas and parasites living in the water. That is where chlorine comes in.

Do you have any references to the Hep A outbreak among tourists and locals?


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## Greenlady (Feb 8, 2013)

Playaboy said:


> The government is always testing the water along the Riviera Maya. I wouldn't worry about it. Just don't drink it. The limestone geology is a great natural filter and most of the underground water is very clear and clean.
> 
> Of greater concern than fecal contamination is amebas and parasites living in the water. That is where chlorine comes in.
> 
> Do you have any references to the Hep A outbreak among tourists and locals?



My only reference is from my renter, who is from the U.S. but works in the hotel industry in Tulum. She contracted Salmonella and said her doctor said he had seen around 60 patients recently with either that or Hepatitis A. She told me the U.S. asked the Mexican government to investigate when many tourists returned from Tulum with Hepatitis A recently. 

She just sent me the report on our water and where these should be not detectable there is a high count of coliformes totales and coliformes fecales. We had just had our septic system pumped because of odors occuring from the shower drains but there was hardly anything there having been pumped just a few months before.

I am wondering if, as another poster suggested, a reverse osmosis filter system will take care of this or, put in a permanent potable water system for inside house use. Then I wonder if chlorine and normal pool maintenance and filtration will be enough for the pool or are we looking at another system for the outside?


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## cuerna1 (Mar 7, 2015)

From time to time we have had odors in the bathrooms from the drains. The drains are conical and the tip is supposed to be submerged. Periodically you may need to add water to the drain to assure this. We do that - and I picked up these small grey gizmos (I think the manufacturer is coflex) from Home Depot that open for outflow but stay closed otherwise. We really don't have odors any more. Also - you may need to extend the 'cone' into the water using something like PVC tubing.

My mentioning the reverse osmosis system (which is working great by the way) was to suggest a cheap, continually available source of safe water (albeit not voluminous). We are enjoying that we are no longer dependent on the water truck for our bottled water.

btw - I believe a reasonable price to pay for a thorough water analysis is like 5000 pesos.

edit : if your house was built recently you should engage the builder for his expertise.


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## Playaboy (Apr 11, 2014)

Greenlady said:


> My only reference is from my renter, who is from the U.S. but works in the hotel industry in Tulum. She contracted Salmonella and said her doctor said he had seen around 60 patients recently with either that or Hepatitis A. She told me the U.S. asked the Mexican government to investigate when many tourists returned from Tulum with Hepatitis A recently.
> 
> She just sent me the report on our water and where these should be not detectable there is a high count of coliformes totales and coliformes fecales. We had just had our septic system pumped because of odors occuring from the shower drains but there was hardly anything there having been pumped just a few months before.
> 
> I am wondering if, as another poster suggested, a reverse osmosis filter system will take care of this or, put in a permanent potable water system for inside house use. Then I wonder if chlorine and normal pool maintenance and filtration will be enough for the pool or are we looking at another system for the outside?


In one of my other lives I was a food safety consultant and industry lobbyist. I know a little about water as a food and USA public water system requirements.

There are many ways to get Hep A and Salmonella poisoning. Here is the latest CDC warnings regarding Tulum. Hepatitis A in Mexico (Tulum) - Watch - Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions - Travel Health Notices | Travelers' Health | CDC and CDC DVH - Division of Viral Hepatitis - Prevent Hepatitis A: Get Vaccinated Before You Travel . The CDC recommendations for prevention are "right on".

If there are 28-30 American tourist that have caught Hep A, you can bet there are many other visiting tourists taking it home too. If the outbreak was waterborne, you have to the large local population at risk.

My educated guess is that once the varies government agencies finish their investigations they will find that it was foodborne and not waterborne. Believe me when I say, they will investigate this to the bitter end.

I lived/live up the road from you for 10 years. My community gets its water from a cenote. I am sure it contained fecal coliforms too. Stuff lives in these underground rivers. Being on the beach it was somewhat brackish at times too. We all knew that the water coming out of the tap was non-potable and treated it as such. Just do the same.

Regular pool maintenance, with proper PH and chlorine level, should be adequate.

Ask your builder if he installed a P-trap in your shower drain? Sometimes the builders forget that. Mine did.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

>>>>> Ask your builder if he installed a P-trap in your shower drain? Sometimes the builders forget that. Mine did.

They don't forget .... they prefer the drain trap, or at least think they are good enough


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## paty wolf (May 14, 2015)

That is horrible. I wondered where the hep A was coming from and thought it was the food.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Playaboy said:


> In one of my other lives I was a food safety consultant and industry lobbyist. I know a little about water as a food and USA public water system requirements.
> 
> There are many ways to get Hep A and Salmonella poisoning. Here is the latest CDC warnings regarding Tulum. Hepatitis A in Mexico (Tulum) - Watch - Level 1, Practice Usual Precautions - Travel Health Notices | Travelers' Health | CDC and CDC DVH - Division of Viral Hepatitis - Prevent Hepatitis A: Get Vaccinated Before You Travel . The CDC recommendations for prevention are "right on".
> 
> ...


Usually we don't install P-traps in showers, just sinks and bath tubs
For showers we use drain traps


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

Maybe you should install a p-trap in showers,too many times have fumes enter a hotel room from the un-traped shower and most of the time there is only a radiator hose connecting the sinks to the system or drum traps...


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

chicois8 said:


> Maybe you should install a p-trap in showers,too many times have fumes enter a hotel room from the un-traped shower and most of the time there is only a radiator hose connecting the sinks to the system or drum traps...


You could google coladeras antiolores
Many brands carry those, including rotoplas, and they are very efficient


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

It looks like a swing check, and if the swing gets stuck the sewer gases float right into your space and along with the gases probably all kinds of nasty bugs living in a sewer or septic system, yuck.......

Does Mexico use vents on home sewer systems now a days?


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Deleted by author because link I provided had previously been provided.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

chicois8 said:


> It looks like a swing check, and if the swing gets stuck the sewer gases float right into your space and along with the gases probably all kinds of nasty bugs living in a sewer or septic system, yuck.......
> 
> Does Mexico use vents on home sewer systems now a days?


I've never seen a trap with a "trap door" ..... only the kind that only use a ring of water for a trap. If they go dry they can let odor and roaches up into your shower.

My house (new) has 1 2-1/2 vent near the main registro and another 50 feet away near second story drain. You tuck them in a corner either inside or outside the house and stucco over


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