Your views on drinking tap water please

cyprusharv


Joined: 16/12/2008
Posts: 423

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 12:34

I have been drinking tap water here for the past 8 years however my Mrs now says she refuses to drink the water from the tap (even boiled) as it is unsafe (women eh?!). Well, I'm going to continue drinking tap water, boiled at least for my teas and coffees. She can have a separate kettle!



Your thoughts please.................

jimchris09


Joined: 13/02/2009
Posts: 547

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 12:36

Put water in Karaman in a Brita and then in kettle or bottles in fridge/ice cubes. No probs.

cyprusharv


Joined: 16/12/2008
Posts: 423

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 12:40

Hmm, yes a water filter machine. That sounds like a good compromise )))

Jonesy299


Joined: 07/02/2009
Posts: 367

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 13:05

I think the water supply is fine and no problem for drinking BUT it depends where your mains water is stored on reaching your property (that would be the most likely source of contaminent, especially if it could be open to vermin or birds etc or is left stagnant for any length of time eg if you go away for a holiday or a break somewhere).



I personally use water coolers (it's cheap and my wife prefers it) but use mains happily for hot drinks and cooking.

Deniz1


Joined: 28/07/2009
Posts: 3829

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 13:19

Used mains water for 8 years no problem. I put it in bottles in the fridge in summer.

daisy dukes


Joined: 06/09/2008
Posts: 3815

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 13:43

I also use the mains water for tea/coffee cooking and yes drinking...have done for many years. However...i do know of a lady some years ago, who got terribly infected by something, and the doctors advised her to not drink the tap water. The lady in question, lost a huge amount of weight, and was eventually hospitalised in the UK...the outcome, i'm afraid i don't know as we lost touch.



Saying this, i do still drink the water...although, i wont bottle it and store it, if i want cold water, i'l buy a bottle. This probably doesn't make sense to some, but it makes me feel better.



DD

canada


Joined: 17/05/2011
Posts: 195

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 14:10

are you kidding? drinking tap water ?

by a brita .

my friend had her gallbladder removed when she formed stones drinking tap water

laptarunner



Joined: 02/11/2009
Posts: 217

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 19:43

Just be careful drinking tap water, the risk is not the hard water, which a water filter will remove. But the water stored in your tanks. Not sure that tap water has any chlorine added to kill bacteria, but any organic material( bird droppings etc) in your tanks could pose a risk.



Ensure you keep lids on your tanks at all times, to prevent any risk of contiminatoin, also sunlight helping the growth of alge.



I do drink tap water, but would suggest anyone, young or old or with a reduced inmune system don't.

matula


Joined: 07/07/2008
Posts: 647

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 20:04

If you look at the limescale in your kettle and round your taps you wouldn't even consider drinking tap water in North Cyprus.

westender


Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 328

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 20:18

I use bottled water for drinking. Use the water off the mains , if it's on, for cooking veg, but not for a cup of tea. The water sits too long in the tank for my liking and we only get mains water 3 times a week, generally.

ataturk


Joined: 09/09/2008
Posts: 712

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 20:37

I have recently fitted a salt water softener and a water filter. I had tested the water prior to installing both units. You may be surprised to know that our water here is softer than many parts of the UK including London. I then checked our water filter under the sink and had it analyzed together with a best selling bottled water. I told the lab that I was thinking of changing to another company as I thought they might have some biased against tap water. The results were surprising apparently the bottled water was only ok and so was the water filter sample and both were acceptable. I wouldn't be duped into drinking bottled water which is carted around in big plastic bottles.

islandgirl


Joined: 12/09/2009
Posts: 302

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 20:44

Direct from the mains, no problem, stored I have reservations. Summertime I just tend to drink water from the cooler. Boiled from anywhere is fine.

Turtle


Joined: 28/05/2007
Posts: 2669

Message Posted:
22/01/2012 20:44

Well all the local TCs near me all buy the 20ltr bottles of water delivered to them.



Whats good for them is good enough for me







I agree with the kettles,.. jeeez the scale is worse than the uk !

Panchocat


Joined: 29/11/2009
Posts: 1333

Message Posted:
23/01/2012 00:15

The scale in the kettle doesn't form if you use mains water and a Brita filter jug.

I do use mains water for cooking but filter and boil it first.

jimchris09


Joined: 13/02/2009
Posts: 547

Message Posted:
23/01/2012 04:29

Brita jugs ( or similar) are the answer!

swyflot


Joined: 07/11/2008
Posts: 916

Message Posted:
23/01/2012 07:50

Our son in law contacted Gardiasis ( a parasitic infection caused by infected water) when he visited us in May and he lost 23 Kg in weight. He only drank bottled water but had ice cubes in Coca Cola in several bars / restaurants. I use bottled water for everything now

stellasstar1



Joined: 02/07/2008
Posts: 1519

Message Posted:
23/01/2012 08:10

I don't have a mains tap inside, so get my water from the tap outside. I've drunk it for the last 6 years,(missing 1 year when we were told not to drink it) as the water in Lapta has been passed as pure. Where I lived in Dorset, the limescale was much worse than here, and I drank that water for 15 years, so not worried about a bit here.

Cazleo


Joined: 06/04/2011
Posts: 232

Message Posted:
23/01/2012 10:30

The biggest problem with tap water here is the high risk of kidney stones, if you are happy to put up with them - really not pleasant to pass trust me - then in general the "Beleidiye" tap - the one direct from the mains is fine.

jool17


Joined: 29/05/2011
Posts: 14

Message Posted:
23/01/2012 11:10

My wife and I always drank the mains water on the many times we

visited the TRNC, over a period of six years.

We imagined the water was pure, coming from the mountains at Catalkoy?

The next day after arriving we would develop all sorts of aches & pains.

Many people told us that it was the dreaded sand fly? We tried everything,

without success.

Then we decided not to drink the mains water on our next visit (two years ago)

Wonderful no aches or pains. Whatever it is in the water we do not know. But we

are sure it is the mains water. Hope this helps

Allan


Joined: 28/12/2010
Posts: 40

Message Posted:
23/01/2012 20:06

The question is the water safe to drink, to remove most type of bacterium / contaminants by filtration then boiling, allow to cool then drink is the easiest method.



Do the local water authority state the water is fit for consumption, if so ask for a certificate of analysis, on the certificate it will show a suite of tests that the water quality is tested on a regular basis at different points of supply, this may be not be achieved in the TRNC. In the UK you can go online to your local authority and view analysis and water quality in your area.



Remember if you have scale on your shower / taps, that is a nutrient for bacteria so clean it off. Some taps have spray inserts, remove every three months and clean,

As for tank water I agree the lid should be tight fitting to reduce the risk of contamination by ingress of vermin or faeces from birds, and again where the lack of use or stagnation, in addition to this a stored water temperature above 20˚C which is very easy to achieve

nurseawful



Joined: 06/02/2009
Posts: 5934

Message Posted:
24/01/2012 19:37

Simple................... Don't drink it !



A 19litre bottle will cost you 5tl and that is delivered



Better safe than sorry. Just my opinion.



Chris

Ed1957


Joined: 03/09/2011
Posts: 377

Message Posted:
24/01/2012 19:54

Try it if you like, but it is not a patch on Efes Pilsen, have just checked my (empty) glass and there is no sign of limescale

LaptaGeezer


Joined: 01/06/2010
Posts: 407

Message Posted:
25/01/2012 13:20

I used to drink the tap water but after finding a decomposing lizard in the tank one day I stopped doing so... don't think there is any issue with the water, it is the storage at your property that is the potential problem. For me.... I use the water from the cooler. Now whether they fill the containers from a tap somewhere is another question!!!

breezyboy


Joined: 14/05/2007
Posts: 1179

Message Posted:
26/01/2012 17:35

At 5tl delivered for 19 litres nobody can be that strapped for cash as to risk their health....can they?

You dont get a bottle for that money in the UK airports!

Pippie


Joined: 02/12/2009
Posts: 1288

Message Posted:
27/01/2012 10:16

After watching the build up of scale on my hob kettle when I first arrived I decided I was definitely sticking to the 19ltr bottles, they always look clean! And if the scale is doing that to my kettle when the water has been boiled, what is it doing to your stomachs? May be not a lot but I'm not risking it.

cyprusairsoft



Joined: 22/06/2009
Posts: 2066

Message Posted:
27/01/2012 11:07

on several houses that our friends have as holiday homes we have noticed snails inside the water tank and excretment from snails going in the tank.



that cantbe healthy can it?

Freddie0712


Joined: 16/03/2012
Posts: 2

Message Posted:
20/03/2012 22:12

I hear there is a company starting soon with selfservice American technology water filteration units.it is going to be installed outside the supermarkets, you fill your own bottels , very cost effective at 3YTL for 19 liters.

I have seen them in America and Australia. excellent..... Hope they start soon

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
20/03/2012 22:28

What a bunch of wimps! As soon as I'm back in TRNC, a pints of tap water goes straight down my throat which may give me the shits for a few days but then the immune system kicks in and all is okay from thereon in!



Richard

Dillon


Joined: 05/02/2012
Posts: 134

Message Posted:
21/03/2012 07:45

The regular cleaning, disinfection and re-sealing of all internal and external water tanks should be part of a planned maintenance schedule, cleaned twice and disinfected once a Year as a minimum standard, particularly if the property is rented out as a holiday home, snails are not the worst to be found in water tanks!



Nestle, amongst others have been prosecuted here in Dubai for practicing Del Boy’s Peckham Springs business methods Probably better to ensure your tanks are clean and filter the water yourself, or not, as Brinsley advocates.

cyprusairsoft



Joined: 22/06/2009
Posts: 2066

Message Posted:
21/03/2012 17:14

drinking the water in catalkoy area was a no no as the mains water pipes were asbestos

they were changed last summer

flaneur


Joined: 07/02/2012
Posts: 68

Message Posted:
21/03/2012 21:53

If you have a water tank outside of your house, and your tap flows the water stored in your tank, never drink it.. if you dont have a tank and use directly the water coming from main pipes, you could use some kind of filter system and might be ok to drink.. but never drink from a water tank.. no matter how clean it is..

richb


Joined: 26/01/2009
Posts: 223

Message Posted:
22/03/2012 09:14

We have a triple filter system between the mains supply and get no furring in our kettle. This was not expensive to fit but you have to change the content of the filters occasionally.

minertor



Joined: 14/02/2009
Posts: 1238

Message Posted:
22/03/2012 09:38

msg 28>What a bunch of wimps! As soon as I'm back in TRNC, a pints of tap water goes straight down my throat which may give me the shits for a few days but then the immune system kicks in and all is okay from thereon in!

Richard, this must be the BEST reason for not drinking the tap water. Us that know you will know what I mean,

T

ps wenyacuminbak.

pps the only thing we use it for is washing. Our 19k costs us 3.5tl. Have to carry it up 51 steps tho'.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
22/03/2012 10:05

Water borne bacteria will undoubtedly be present and increase in hot weather if the water supply comes via untreated and unfiltered mains... in really hot weather it can even take on a foetid aroma... and some bacteria will do a lot more harm than just give you the shits! Life-threatening bacteria thrive in storage that flies and other vermin can get incidental access to. It's too late investigating after you've become ill..

Make sure it's boiled then cooled and you might just get away with it.. otherwise, bath in it - but don't drink it.

Brinsley's just trying to sound butch...

marcosthechef



Joined: 30/11/2009
Posts: 646

Message Posted:
22/03/2012 14:08

I use tap water after boiling for tea



I have also experienced two seperate incidents of bad tasting bottle water (19ltres) once about 3 years ago so stopped ordering that brand, then again last month two bottles the same, I took one to the health dept to complain, the guy there (who I know to be the boss of dept) checked it there and then and confirmed that it was not tap water (which is what I thought it was) he didnt seem to bothered and wasnt going to take any action against the firm, but did tell me it was a cleaning problem at the plant. so once again I will not buy from them again.



I stick to Evsu and Icy now

ataturk


Joined: 09/09/2008
Posts: 712

Message Posted:
22/03/2012 21:48

Tap water is definitely drinkable but I would advise first taking a sample to a lab for tests. We have a salt water softener and a water filter and took saples to the lab including a famous bottles water as well. Both turned out to be ok and drinkable but she told us that they were not fantastic but drinkable surprising if you think that bottled water is safer.

moxie


Joined: 23/05/2009
Posts: 969

Message Posted:
22/03/2012 23:48

been drinking it for over 15 yrs here and in Turkey....finally stopped when i saw little critters in my glass, the tank lid was open ,

limescale.....less than UK as it is softer water here, be a gent get a bottle

jamboree


Joined: 25/06/2011
Posts: 88

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 01:13

yes do not worry your self tap water drinkers, keep convincing and belive that the tap water is safe to drink, you drink it and enjoy it, but do not tell others its safe?

even in the areas with safe and clean drinking water which come from the mains, do you ever stop to think of the pipes that the water is reaching your house? i do not think so?

the pipe work is very old and rotten. there are only a very few areas in north cyprus which are left safe to drink or should is say for cooking.

i say good luck to you all tap water drinkers.

jamboree


Joined: 25/06/2011
Posts: 88

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 01:41

a few years back i was visiting lefke and there was beautiful freshwater streams comming down from the mountains in the south i was told that this water is good clean water. then i went driving as i wanted to see the dam/pool thing there left from the mining days. i drove around looking for a way to get a view of it. after a while driving i found a way to see it which was via a grave yard.

i parked the car and walked over to the end of the yard which then the pool was in full view. this pool thing, i think they are called tailing ponds or somthing simmilar? it is a greeny to blue colour and it is meant to be very toxic.

i was just stitting and looking at the view as the grave yard is very high up, and as i got up and turned around to walk back to the car, i noticed tiny little grave stones all around the edge of the grave yard. on closer inspection they were all of new born babies who died just after birth or a day or two after. there was so many i just could not belive it.

jamboree


Joined: 25/06/2011
Posts: 88

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 01:54

for such a small place like lefke so many deaths of babies so strange. if you are ever passing there go and have a look for your self, there is not a few but quite a lot it is very disturbing. why so many?

after seeing this and reading about the mining process of copper and waste left over from the mining process it is not so strange. also there is a lot of abnormal births and birth defects in that area.

i belive that the poisons and toxic waste left over from the mining days is causing all of this.

the pond leak in to the clean water system then people drink or cook with it then all these problems occur. look at the cancer rate in lefke area it also is very high. my father in law lived there and was a miner for a short period of time he lived a very clean and healthy life did not drink or smoke kept fit always and died of a brain tumor at 59. he once told me that when there was water shortages that the water in the big pood would be used to water the veg on the farms ie tomatos

jamboree


Joined: 25/06/2011
Posts: 88

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 02:16

cucumbers etc etc. if you go and look at some of the small ponds in that area which are open to easy access you will see the damage that toxic water does. it rots and eats away stone, look at the jetty where they used to load the ships with the copper ore the jetty has been eaten away. oh and i forgot look at the sea it has also gone the same colour greeny blue as it is seeping in to the sea also.. if it can do this to stone and metal then what can it do to humans??,

i think a lot of damage is done to humans which will not show up for many years later.

many companys and countrys gained great fortunes from the mines, and left lefke in a state of disrepair. even if all the the waste is cleared up the area would not be safe for 50, 100, 150 years or more as the toxic waste can not be taken out of the soil and water system.

you can go and read about it your self there is lots out there on the net and its quite disturbing and sad.

so just be carefull when you turn your tap to drink?

jamboree


Joined: 25/06/2011
Posts: 88

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 02:34

i could not get the link to work but if you put this in to google then there is a big list to pick from.



"The environmental and public health problems due to tailing ponds of copper mine in Lefke, Cyprus

Dillon


Joined: 05/02/2012
Posts: 134

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 06:36

“As in most mines, the tailings, waste left over from processing ore, are a problem, and as of 2006, there are no plans to clean up the tailings. The people of Cyprus are left with neither the income from the mines nor the use of the now polluted land surrounding those mines because they have no way to pay for the cleanup. Local farmers claim that citrus crop yields have been lowered by contaminated dust blowing in. Studies of local fruit have found high heavy metal levels and decreased fruit size and quality. The effect of the mine is a growing issue for Cypriot environmentalists and NGOs.”



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyprus_Mines_Corporation

Dillon


Joined: 05/02/2012
Posts: 134

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 06:37

An environmental disaster, and so typical of institutionalized business ethics coming into play eliminating the responsibility for current stakeholders to clean up their mess and make good, it sickens me to the core. I guess the region around Lefke is one to avoid, that is until the Cyprus question is resolved and the EU can step in and foot the bill for the required cleanup, I mean it’s not as though they can plant grass on it and disguise it like they do with the slag heaps in Wales is it?

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 10:37

Yeah well his name was Mudd (sic). End of.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
23/03/2012 10:46

The real problem here is variability in the standard of the water supply.... You are all right drinking water while it's safe and then when it's not you aren't... but how will you know? Contamination of the water supply anywhere in the supply chain will only become evident when people start to fall sick - not a happy scenario... is it?

You will get away with it for ages but who wants their guests and friends to get Montezuma's Revenge on a visit?

There are water treatment systems for use by trekkers and I guess they are the way to ensure safe drinking of tap water - other than that? I don't think so, thank you all the same....