2Cats2 Posted December 12, 2013 Posted December 12, 2013 Okay… Maybe a dumb question, but I'll give it a shot. I have been coming to the Philippines quite often for the last three years. I had a job in China which allowed me to visit frequently. Wherever I was, I always chose tapwater for cleaning teeth. Also for boiling to make coffee or tea. But for drinking straight, I would buy bottled water. However I was talking to another expat yesterday about the drinking water. He said that in Davao city than tap water was the cleanest and purest in the Philippines. It is drinkable. He said it's the only place in the Philippines where you can safely drink the water straight from the tap without getting sick. Really?? Can anyone else confirm this before I give it a tryout? I go to the gym most days of the week to stay in shape. I usually take and drink a 1 L bottle of water. The cost is trivial but the hassle is the weight of buying multiple bottles of drinking water and getting them home. Using water straight from the tap (as I would do in the UK) would be so much more convenient. Can someone else with longer experience than me in Davao city please give some solid advice? Thank you. :-) 2Cats2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markham Posted December 12, 2013 Posted December 12, 2013 Prior to moving to Davao, I read an article which said that, according to the WHO, Davao has one of the purest city water supplies on earth. However that refers to the fact that the city's water supply is pumped up from aquifers several hundred feet underground and what DCWD - the water company - does with it once it reaches the surface, is anyone's guess. One thing's for sure, like everywhere else in the Philippines, Davao's tap water is "hard" which may not be good news if you're prone to kidney stones. But it is certainly drinkable - my wife thrives on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted December 12, 2013 Posted December 12, 2013 However that refers to the fact that the city's water supply is pumped up from aquifers several hundred feet underground and what DCWD - the water company - does with it once it reaches the surface, is anyone's guess. And when making the test at the SOURSE, then many things can be added in dirty PIPES...E g water hardend by having much iron in it, add much iron oxide junk to the pipes, if a pipe isn't used for a while, then it's common they are clugged by that, not leting water through anymore. (In Sweden tap water are drinkable EVERYWHERE at the sourse (except temporary if something extraordinary happen and then they tell it frequently in local news). How it is when it arrives to the homes is an other question. Parts of some city pipe system are very old, so it's much junk stored there. Normaly the junk stay rather stable, but when water direction changes or are moved by repairs, then much junk come out in the taps in the homes.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2Cats2 Posted December 13, 2013 Author Posted December 13, 2013 However that refers to the fact that the city's water supply is pumped up from aquifers several hundred feet underground and what DCWD - the water company - does with it once it reaches the surface, is anyone's guess.And when making the test at the SOURSE, then many things can be added in dirty PIPES...E g water hardend by having much iron in it, add much iron oxide junk to the pipes, if a pipe isn't used for a while, then it's common they are clugged by that, not leting water through anymore. (In Sweden tap water are drinkable EVERYWHERE at the sourse (except temporary if something extraordinary happen and then they tell it frequently in local news). How it is when it arrives to the homes is an other question. Parts of some city pipe system are very old, so it's much junk stored there. Normaly the junk stay rather stable, but when water direction changes or are moved by repairs, then much junk come out in the taps in the homes.) Well...I drank some when I was at the gym today. So far....so good !! :cheersty: 2Cats2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Graham Posted December 13, 2013 Posted December 13, 2013 The tap water has been reported as passing all health tests in Manila as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJReyes Posted December 13, 2013 Posted December 13, 2013 ABC News did a story yesterday comparing New York City municipal water and popular bottled brands. In the taste test category, bottled water was slightly preferred over New York City tap water. For the state of New Jersey, their tap water was the consumers' choice over bottled. Both municipal and bottled water are equally safe. One big difference is families spend about $500 a year for the bottled version. In the Philippines, I drink bottled water partially because of an inherent mistrust of the government. Whether in the Philippines or other parts of the world, the water source for bottled is municipal. Even for labels like Poland Spring. The bottlers filter the water to remove the residual chlorine which affects the taste. In theory, the chlorine free water stored in a plastic container for sometime is less safe. In Philippine restaurants, I don't like using the glass. Anyone notice that some waiters stick their fingers inside the glasses when carrying it to the tables? They can carry more glasses this way. So drink the water from the bottle. As mentioned in an earlier post, the safest thing to drink anywhere in the world, according to the World Health Organization is beer from a bottle. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum Support Old55 Posted December 14, 2013 Forum Support Posted December 14, 2013 Reasonable cost for pure water. I know Filipinos and expats who swear the tap water is fine others who claim tap water or ice has made them deathly ill. I think filtered water is worthwhile. Be sure to wash fresh fruit and vegetables with clean water from what I have read they pose a serious health risk as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert k Posted December 14, 2013 Posted December 14, 2013 I brushed my teeth and rinsed my mouth out with Manila tap water for a couple days with no ill effects. A week later I did develop a mild case of loose bowels, nothing a little Immodium couldn't fix but I stuck to purified water after that, which I think is the best policy. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpbago Posted December 14, 2013 Posted December 14, 2013 The tap water has been reported as passing all health tests in Manila as well The beach at Boracay has been reported as passing all health tests as well. But where does all that sh&t go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthdome Posted December 14, 2013 Posted December 14, 2013 There may be places in the Philippines where the well or city water is ok to drink. I just stay in the habit of using bottled water for drinking, cooking, washing fruits and vegetables and for brushing my teeth. That way I ensure I won't have problems regardless of where I am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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