Water in Mexico

[Letterkenny]

As we are thinking about doing a trip down to Ensenada at the Marina Coral, it has me once again thinking about the best water purification setup given we don’t have a water maker. I’ve heard that you can get the 5 gallon jugs delivered to your boat which I would just do if they could put it straight into my tanks but assuming that isn’t feasible, I wanted to run by an updated approach I was considering. It is a multi-step approach so that there shouldn’t be any concerns by the time it comes to drinking but I also don’t want to contaminate my tanks.

On the pre-filtering side before it would go into the tanks would be a camco 20 micron (just because I have it) to get rid of the bigger things (see item 1). Next would be using a step down adapter to go to a 0.5 micron block (see item 2). Lastly, it would go through this waterdrop UV filter and into the tank (see item 3). Ultimately it will be a low flow rate but more UV contact is better I presume.

While I’d hope the above would be sufficient, from there, it would go into my daily post water usage setup. Water from the tanks for drinking or cooking goes first into my Larq water pitcher which has both UV and an “advanced” carbon filter (see item 4). They have two filters available and so no clue if the advanced version is actually better than the regular but it doesn’t really matter. While at times I’ll stop there, the last step I usually do for drinking water is either a larq or this waatr dual UV light cap (see item 5) that I keep on the hydroflask style water bottle.

For Mexican dock water, I would hope the pre filter routine would make it sufficiently sterile to drink and not contaminate the tanks but I’d hope that rounds 2 and 3 through UV would really help ensure no bugs get through. I know others use Seagull filters (not sure if that’s it in this situation or if there is others) and some other UV setups but would be curious to see any feedback on this.

1. https://www.amazon.com/Camco-TastePU...4-9469fdeef107

2. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07MF...sin_image&th=1

3. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09CL...P4EUQK6R&psc=1

4. https://www.livelarq.com/shop/larq-p...IaAjzwEALw_wcB

5. https://waatr.com/pages/hydrocap

[donradcliffe]

I haven't got water at Marina Coral, but talking to the boats on the dock there is a guy who brings down 5 gallon jugs of drinking water and will pour them into your tanks. The consensus is not to drink the dock water no matter how many filters you have.

[sv_pelagia]

One poster has earlier suggested Marina Coral (NOT the other marinas) provides purified water at its docks. (I can't confirm this....)

Otherwise:
1, Very regular/common service to bring 19 litre garrafóns of water (however many you need) down to boat and they pour water in for you.

2. Ensenada's water problem is that it is too salty. Filters and UV systems do not correct this.

[wholybee]

Early this year I sailed north from Panama to San Francisco without a Watermaker. 5-gallon jugs were available at every stop in Mexico, very cheap. Every marina provided bottled water, and most anchorages had someone in a Panga that would deliver both water and fuel. I put them straight into my tank. Why would that not be feasible?

You are dealing with water that is known to be contaminated. While UV works and is used in purification plants, the power and flow rate required to make it work make it impractical for a boat. I would not trust my health to a small UV system on a boat. Either install a watermaker, use the recommended chlorine treatments, or buy water. Or, since you seem to be stuck on UV, add chlorine to your water on top of that. But water was so easy to get everywhere that I wouldn't bother.

[Letterkenny]

Originally Posted by wholybee

Early this year I sailed north from Panama to San Francisco without a Watermaker. 5-gallon jugs were available at every stop in Mexico, very cheap. Every marina provided bottled water, and most anchorages had someone in a Panga that would deliver both water and fuel. I put them straight into my tank. Why would that not be feasible?

You are dealing with water that is known to be contaminated. While UV works and is used in purification plants, the power and flow rate required to make it work make it impractical for a boat. I would not trust my health to a small UV system on a boat. Either install a watermaker, use the recommended chlorine treatments, or buy water. Or, since you seem to be stuck on UV, add chlorine to your water on top of that. But water was so easy to get everywhere that I wouldn't bother.

Not stuck on UV but it is effective on killing bacteria. I just didn’t know how easy it would be to have water delivered and if it’s easy and readily available, I’ll 100% go down that path.