Drinking water @hotels

[witsendwv]

Thank you all for the water related chuckles. I have laughed out loud several times at some of the posts. I never worry about tap water while in Spain as it must be much more regulated than here in the wilds of southern WV. I live in the middle of 200 acres on the side of mountain. My water supply is from a gravity fed spring that comes from a pipe that was laid sometime in the early 1860's. The hillside is full of animals, both wild and domesticated. We do send the water through two filters as it enters the house, and it then goes into a pressurized bladder which produces enough PSI to bring the water into the house. The cold water is never cold, and if the toilets are not cleaned every other day a fine layer of silt starts to build up in the bottom of the bowls. The refrigerator has another filter for drinking water, but we also use 5 gallon bottles of water for coffee and cooking especially after very heavy rains. (A day like today!) I have lived here for more than 30 years and to my knowledge none of us has had a gastrointestinal problem from the water. So, I'll drink the tap water in Spain anytime without worries. (But maybe I'll take some disinfecting wipes with me to clean the bathroom tap-maybe!) Best wishes for a wonder New Year for all- and am planning our next trip for March.

 

[ajpm2222]

Greetings Glenn,

I stayed in hotels exclusively the full length of the Camino Frances in 2023, unless I needed an appropriate lodging substitute where no hotels existed. I relied on tap water at hotels, and felt very confident because my drinking vessel was the following, which includes an integrated filtration system:

Nalgene OG Sailing One Life | 32 & 48oz

What is cooler than an American made water bottle with an American made filter designed by a kick ass artist supporting an non-profit that is trying to save the ocean? Nothing...better get your special edition bottle now before they are gone!

www.epicwaterfilters.com

This is not spam or gratuitous marketing. I trekked the whole length of the Frances and loved that this filter eliminated horrible chlorine and other tastes that normally accompany tap water. Plus, it’s super convenient and cost-efficient.

I purchased this for the potable outdoor drinking fountains to allay any concerns I might have had about the dodgier options. The filter targets both tap water pollutants, and potential outdoor water contaminants like bacteria, viruses, and microbial cysts (it’s ideally not meant for non-potable/ greywater/ sullage/ streams, etc.; they have another filter for that use case). It turned out to be a bonus in hotels to purify the tap water, making it taste pristine.

Cheers!

 

[Damien Reynolds]

To clarify, fountains and taps are usually only marked if the water is non potable.

Well, I have another rule... unless I have to push a button or pull a lever or whatever to acquire the water in fountains I don't drink it even if it isn't marked. I figure they wouldn't be wasting treated water like that.

 

[TiedyeAT]

Call me a sceptic but my bet is they’re all potable! I think the locals figured out if they mark them non-potable, we’ll spend more buying their drinks. jmho

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Call me a sceptic but my bet is they’re all potable! I think the locals figured out if they mark them non-potable, we’ll spend more buying their drinks. jmho

All I know is I used to always get diarrhea at least once on every camino. Then I changed my "fountain habits" (paying attention to markings/pulling levers etc) and I haven't suffered for years.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

A practical tip if water issues befall you. (an oldie)...

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/practical-tip-how-to-pronounce-diarrhea-in-spain.37387/#post-360659

(Scroll back to the top)

 

[henrythedog]

I think I can tick-off three bouts of amoebic dysentery in my career ( career as in an uncontrolled down hill progression) through life. On each occasion I most likely acquired the infection because some shit didn’t wash the shit off their hands before juggling my lunch. Fecal contamination of tap water just doesn’t happen in Europe unless you’re in a war zone. Just now, if I was in Ukraine I’d probably be willing to pay the premium for bottled water. In Gaza I’d be embarrassed by my wealth. And in Spain I’d be content to take the tap water as safe. As safe as the streets, as safe as the Barrios as safe as any of us are anywhere anywhen.

Meanwhile the plastic bottled water industry is buggering our planet

Yes; plastic bottled water (generally) bad. I had what may well have been AD twice: my business partner and I ate the same German prawns - having always travelled in separate cars and planes to avoid risk of simultaneous death - and my mother (my MOTHER!) provided some chicken for an impromptu BBQ with my brother and she who has since long been MrsHtD. They left me in a sleeping bag in the sun with a bottle of water to recover. It wasn’t a well considered plan.

Anyway: unless you have extraordinary needs; Spanish tap water is tap water.

 

[henrythedog]

And when it comes to ‘treated’ water; here I am in the UK on potable water which comes from a reservoir about a mile away.

That's a small upland tarn (lake); uncovered, surrounded by sheep farms and many inferior cousins of Henry the (actual) dog. I’m drinking (very) dilute faeces and it hasn’t killed me yet.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

And when it comes to ‘treated’ water; here I am in the UK on potable water which comes from a reservoir about a mile away.

That's a small upland tarn (lake); uncovered, surrounded by sheep farms and many inferior cousins of Henry the (actual) dog. I’m drinking (very) dilute faeces and it hasn’t killed me yet.

Yah, you've probably built immunity.

That reminds me of another story where, on the first day out of Irun, I approached the big fountain by that little church overlooking the bay. I wanted to drink, but i read the sign that said "No Potable". A local spaniard on a bike said, "No, that water is ok. I drink it everyday." Turns out if you walk past the the little church into the pleasant park (against the arrows) there is a full on push button fountain with no sign. And bathrooms.

 

[henrythedog]

Yah, you've probably built immunity.

That’s a very good point.

 

[chinacat]

And when it comes to ‘treated’ water; here I am in the UK on potable water which comes from a reservoir about a mile away.

That's a small upland tarn (lake); uncovered, surrounded by sheep farms and many inferior cousins of Henry the (actual) dog. I’m drinking (very) dilute faeces and it hasn’t killed me yet.

At least you’re not drinking it from Windermere

My AD was diagnosed by a final year German med student after I’d eaten carob pods that I’d picked up off a remote path in Crete. It was years ago and I hope I’m less stupid now. I hallucinated the Balrog a few times in the loo that night and the antibiotics the student gave me seemed to do the trick within a couple of days. My Cretan surrogate grandmother decided what and when I should eat again and I was none the worse for it.

I drank from taps and fountains on the CF and had no problems. On the one occasion we stayed in a hotel, I just asked the receptionist if the water in the room was okay to drink. It was.

Bottled water can be from almost any source and can contain all sorts of nasties, including unwanted elements leached from the plastic of the bottle in which it’s sold.

And it’s very bad for our planet.

Btw - silver is very good for treating dodgy water.

 

[henrythedog]

At least you’re not drinking it from Windermere

I fish the River Leven, which is the outfall of Windermere; and it’s as bad as reported. The Environment Agency have been inactive for years. It’s disgraceful.