drinking water in Colombia

ellbee2 says on Jan 11, 2008, 05:57:

The water in Colombia is very safe and quite delicious. One of my students is the head of the Chemical Engineering Dept. at Andes University and he can't understand why so many people drink bottles water in Colombia (or anywhere). No fear of Montezuma's revenge here!

"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going because you might not get there." Yogi Berra

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Colombiche says on Jan 11, 2008, 06:04:

The water in Manizales is one of the BEST in Colombia, it has always been. I'd rather drink water off the tap in Manizales than I would in Toronto.

Now, you can't really say the water all over colombia is safe, hell no. I would never drink a glass of water off the tap in Santa Fe de Antioquia or Melgar. I dont' think I would do it in the coast either. Cities like Manizales, Medellin and Bogota have very good water.

Drink it to you heart's content que lo que no mata engorda.

No me den trago extranjero, que es caro y no sabe a bueno.... (Rafael Godoy)

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kat1 (Moderator) says on Jan 11, 2008, 06:28:

ellbee2 wrote "The water in Colombia is very safe and quite delicious." safe yes but delicious? heheh
i rather prefer it with a hint of mango

BTW I don't neither my family drink tap water in Villavicencio, we always buy the bottle

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Gator says on Jan 11, 2008, 08:51:

Yes

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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kentuckygreg2 says on Jan 11, 2008, 12:13:

Don't drink the toilet water. :) Considering Manizales is in the mountains I bet you are fine.

Love and happiness!

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Ryan2000 says on Jan 11, 2008, 13:15:

Thank you everyone for your advice!

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tomtom33 says on Jan 11, 2008, 14:08:

Ellbee, you might want to avoid such sweeping statements. It took me nearly a year to acclimate to Cartagena, gastrointestinally. And I am far from alone.

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robi666 says on Jan 11, 2008, 18:48:

" I dont' think I would do it in the coast either. "
You cannot drink it in Cartagena, Barranquilla or Santa Marta. But you can safely drink water on the coast at the edge of Sierra Nevada. I do.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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john_stark says on Jan 11, 2008, 21:43:

I drink the water everywhere but then I used to drink out of my ranch troughs with the horses and cattle so maybe I'm not the best example.

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jaramillo says on Jan 12, 2008, 05:46:

Generally speaking, the quality of the water depends on altitude. Safe in Manizales, deadly in Barranquilla. However, even in the Andes amoeba can be an issue. You can drink safely from municipal sources (the water is treated) but I would avoid water from an apparently pristine mountain stream.

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goin_south says on Jan 12, 2008, 10:26:

These are some firsts, that I've heard, "don't drink the water"....
maybe I missed somethings in months gone by...
Villav....BQ....Cartagena, Santa Marta.... dont drink the water.
I have not been to those places, but hope to be one day, so...glad in this case for the repetitive question.....'IS IT SAFE'?

Where do we go from here?

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la campiña says on Jan 12, 2008, 16:52:

self presevation, I live in cali and the water is ok to drink, however after living here for 5 years and a little common sense, regardless of how good the water is your body needs to adapt to diferent chemicals and additives, introduce slowly, and buy lots of toilet paper

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Robert Jorge says on Jan 12, 2008, 21:03:

In Villavo, the rule was brushing your teeth with tap water was fine. But don't swallow. I never saw anybody drink tap water in Villavo. In the past I had people totally disagree with me about drinking water in Villavo (here on PBH). I just did as the locals did. If they didn't drink tap water, I didn't drink tap water. For me it's a moot point anyway. I don't like water. Why drink water when you can drink cold beer?

BEWARE of gold diggers.

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thur says on Jan 13, 2008, 04:00:

"The water in Manizales is one of the BEST in Colombia."
That's what they told me as well... Manizales, Medellín, Bogotá is fine. I don't know about other cities.
Greetings,

- www.pbase.com/thur

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ellbee2 says on Jan 14, 2008, 16:11:

Ok, Ok.... sheesh. I should have said Bogota water . Excuse for my "sweeping" comment. Also I prefer my water with a hint of Scotch, or more correctly I prefer my Scotch with a hint of water.

"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going because you might not get there." Yogi Berra

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diabloblas says on Jan 14, 2008, 16:18:

years ago my dog taught me about different water on the road...don't have that or any dog anymore but the lesson stayed with me....do it gradually & the stomach will most likely adjust

...one think i do love & hate about water in colombia are those cold plastic baggies of it...just the right amount & it feels good on the forehead & neck between sips

...what i hate is the litter....

...see where china is going to severly limit plastic grocery bags,,,hurray!

...the average person in the states uses & discards over 400 of them a year...then they sit in landfills for a hundred years

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