Cistern Water
 

Cistern water is collected from the roof and down the gutters. Have you looked at your roof lately? All kinds of things could blow onto it. Most cisterns do not have filters that can keep out bacteria and other material not good for drinking. You're really taking your chances by ingesting it. I wouldn't even brush my teeth with it. Bathing, washing dishes with fairly hot water, washing clothes and boiling pasta is fine. I would never make ice cubes with cistern water and I would never make cold drinks with it. Boiling it will usually kill just about anything harmful in it, but the bottled stuff i.e. in big plastic jugs from the supermarket is not that expensive and is very convenient. Don't take unnecessary chances even in U.S. territories like the U.S. Virgin Islands. There is very little public sewage or water supplies so most places relie on cistern water (unless it's a hotel, and they will inform you whether the water is potable). It has nothing to do with whether or not it's a U.S. territory as was posited in another thread. No, the islands are not like Florida! Don't take chances with cistern water... why gamble with your vacation experience?

From the time I was born I have been drinking cistern water. Only thing was is that it was boiled first! Since then they have invented filters that seem to do the trick. Just make sure where you are has filters and you should be okay.

RL

In Bermuda they collect their water from cisterns. I assume they must use filters? I have been several times and drink the water without any problems.

Also I would think that if you rent an older villa and the water is not filtered the odds of contracting a "bug" from the water would be higher.

Even though some others would bash me for saying that because I recently have had ,what the doctor seems to think is Giardia.I would say that after my first dose of the medication prescribed to me...its funny that I feel a whole lot better.I asked the doctor how long it would take to feel better and she said after I have been taking the medicine for atleast a day or two.(I'm only taking it for 3 days.2000 mg a day.

I learned a valuable lesson that will NOT keep me from going to beautiful St John. :)

Ron, as you say, drinking after it is boiled should be no problem. I can't say anything about the effectiveness of filters... don't know anything about them. The problem is when people assume there are filters when there are not. As for Bermuda, you may just have lucked out, Tanya. The problem is that just because filters are available, not everyone has them. I have been to Bermua a couple of times and our landlords gave specific instructions not to drink the cistern water. Property managers (who should make it their business to know whether there are filters for the cistern waters) need to properly advise their lessees/tenants.

tuxedo:
I agree about property renters really need to inform visitors and need to check the water of the ones that do not have a filtration system on a regular basis.I am going to call the villa rental company that we used to see if they tested the water..in a few days.

I'm not saying the property renters need to assure potable water, but they definitely need to warn people if the water quality is at all questionable. If they haven't tested the water, they should say: "We haven't tested the water, so avoid drinking it." Otherwise, it's just irresponsible.

Yes..you are right.

Living in the Caribbean we've relied on cistern water at our house for the past twelve years. In the very begining we drank it because we do have a good filtering system, and luckily we never had a problem. However, in the last several years we use strictly bottled water for drinking, cooking and making ice cubes. I don't mind boiling something in cistern water, just as long as all of the water isn't going to be absorbed into the food (i.e. a pot of soup). Otherwise, we only use our cistern water for bathing, washing dishes and clothes, cleaning, etc. We use it for brushing our teeth, as well, but don't swallow it.

We basically just try not to ingest it and I agree it's better to go that route even if you are sure of a good filtering system. Three cases of bottled water per week for only two of us does get expensive but I'd rather be safe than sorry, and I can't think of boiling that much water for regular use.

We also drink only bottled water on any other islands that we visit, including newer resort properties. Most sewage and water systems just aren't the same in the islands as they are in the US.

I always used Cistern water when I lived in the Caribbean (several islands). Never had a problem with it. I drank some in Nevis when I was there in May no problems. Using cistern water does not necessarily mean you will get sick... it just depends on what else is in the cistern,,, lol

I always boil the cistern water used for drinking and icecubes or use bottled water. I've never been ill.

The 'cistern filters' where I stay consists of hundreds of tiny fish called "millions" that actually live in the tank. I've never seen one come up through the taps though !

curious, you are right! We recently had our cistern replastered because there were a few cracks that were leaking water (our cistern dates back to the 1800's) and we had to go buy new "cistern fish" to continue eating the bacteria. The old fish got flushed away when we drained the entire cistern for the restoration.

We didn't use our cistern water for as much as for boiling pasta and such for a couple months after it was replastered because you could see a white tinge to the water when it came thru the tap at times (from the new plaster and lime).

I was going to also add that the sediment that comes off the roof settles at the bottom of the cistern and doesn't come thru the tap, but I still think of the possible bacteria that could be in the water itself and therefore stick mostly to bottled. But, I know many people who have drank their cistern water for years without incident. It's just a personal preference for me.

Wow. Never knew there were "cistern fish." I'm glad I never drank the cistern water. Don't the fish have to "go" in the water, too? Yeesh. Actually, since our cistern consists of several really big plastic tanks, I guess I don't need to worry about plaster or leaks in the concrete. Wonder if there are "millions" in the plastic cisterns too?

as the great W.C. Fields put it, when refusing a glass: "Water ! Water! Fish fornicate in water!

Ditto tuxedocat, Wow. Learn something new every day. Guarantee I won't be drinking cistern water anytime soon.

Cistern fish are very, very tiny and do more bacteria eating than they do excreting...at least IMO.

However, this thread has made me laugh in thinking about a friend of mine who once visited me here on the island and refused to go swimming or snorkeling in the ocean. She told me, "You know fish "poo poo" in there, don't you? I aint swimming in that water." :D

I guess it all depends on just how picky one is about the fish in their water. :)

Pregnant women should be especially careful about cistern water. My wife (who grew up on St. Thomas) got very sick from what the doctor believes was cistern water at the house she grew up in. Being four months pregnant, her immune system was somewhat weaker and so she was vulnerable to the same bacteria she was always able to deal with. She couldn't keep anything down for about 48 hours.

Excellent point, JimC. Anyone with a compromised immune system has to be doubly careful. Bacteria seem also a place specific thing. People living in any particular region of the world seem immune to or otherwise toughened towards some common local bacteria or "bugs," while these bugs will make visitors sick.