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Temporary ban on drinking city water
#198309
06/21/2019 10:14 PM
06/21/2019 10:14 PM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 280 Lithuania
Julius
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Posts: 280
Lithuania
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Re: Temporary ban on drinking city water
[Re: Julius]
#198312
06/21/2019 11:20 PM
06/21/2019 11:20 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,645 Brookfield, CT.
pat
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It should be noted that this pertains to the French side of the island and does not include the desalinated water on the Dutch side. They have totally separate water systems.
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Re: Temporary ban on drinking city water
[Re: pat]
#198317
06/22/2019 07:22 AM
06/22/2019 07:22 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,673 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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Pat--that is correct, that the water systems on each side of the island are totally separate However, I believe the water on the French side is also desalinated water?? On our recent trip, we did not drink any water from the tap, as was recommended by our villa rental agency. This is the standard recommendation for this villa, nothing to do with the current water situation. This was not a big deal for me, as I drink almost exclusively bottled water at home. Although at home we use tap water for coffee and we did not, on SXM at the villa. We got 6 two liter bottles of water at Super U for something like 4 E. In the scheme of things, an expense of no consequence, for tourists, at any rate. Much better to be safe than become sick.
Last edited by Carol_Hill; 06/22/2019 07:24 AM.
Carol Hill
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Re: Temporary ban on drinking city water
[Re: Julius]
#198336
06/22/2019 10:25 AM
06/22/2019 10:25 AM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,883
Bahston
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My understanding is that the testing for bromates is relatively new. As a visitor who doesn’t cook, brushes my teeth with bottled water, and only drinks bottled water, I’m not concerned. As to French-side restaurants, who are only supposed to cook with bottled water, whether they do or don’t, I’m only there a few weeks a year.
St Barth, which also uses desalinated water, has been under a similar “temporary” ban since last August. If they can’t fix the problem in a hurry then I have less hope for St Martin.
Last edited by Bahston; 06/22/2019 10:52 AM.
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Re: Temporary ban on drinking city water
[Re: Carol_Hill]
#198354
06/22/2019 01:58 PM
06/22/2019 01:58 PM
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,698 Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman
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Auburn, WA
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You brush your teeth with bottled water? OK. I would do that in Mexico but not in St Maarten.
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Re: Temporary ban on drinking city water
[Re: Julius]
#198364
06/22/2019 03:12 PM
06/22/2019 03:12 PM
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Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 56 Philadelphia, PA
Alexander9228
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Soooooo can I rinse my toothbrush with tap water or no? On the French side.
Last edited by Alexander9228; 06/22/2019 03:12 PM.
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Re: Temporary ban on drinking city water
[Re: Julius]
#198367
06/22/2019 03:27 PM
06/22/2019 03:27 PM
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Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,645 Brookfield, CT.
pat
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I think I would reread Maranjo’s post and NOT use tap water for anything, particularly tooth brushing, if I was staying anywhere on the French side.
That said, we’ve mostly stayed on the Dutch side of the island for over 45 years at least annually and we have always used tap water with no side effects. Don’t ask me why, but I buy two gallons of water every trip and use it exclusively for making my coffee and iced tea. But for everything else, including drinking water, tooth brushing and ice cubes, we use the tap water. Neither of us has ever had an issue on the island and having experienced a mild bout in Puerto Vallarta (ice cubes....) I can only say THANK YOU, GOD!, because it was brutal.
Respectfully,
pat
"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them."
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Re: Temporary ban on drinking city water
[Re: Julius]
#198369
06/22/2019 03:37 PM
06/22/2019 03:37 PM
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,883
Bahston
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Filters don't do anything for bromates. The ban is on the French side, La Vista is on the Dutch side. Either the Dutch side city water doesn't have the same bromate problem as the French side, they have a different standard, or they don't test for it.
For many years I rented villas which often used cistern water, which was free, rather than the more expensive city water. So yes, I brush my teeth with bottled water.
Last edited by Bahston; 06/22/2019 04:51 PM.
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Re: Temporary ban on drinking city water
[Re: Julius]
#198396
06/22/2019 11:51 PM
06/22/2019 11:51 PM
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Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 721
bran
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Posts: 721
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quite a concern reading this for some....................always brush teeth there with tap water..boil the kettle with tap water(should be ok) and have ice and water from fridge that has a filter...never been ill. Do drink bottled water but again have filter back home with the fridge and never been sick with ice......unless there is some raging disease going on in the french side, not going to change..........I mean between getting run over by a lunatic biker, getting shot, robbed and having the raging poos through bad water, why even come to St. Martin......................? Got the SXM blues, got two weeks free end of the week, do I even consider this delight so soon after just getting back................airfares at last minute ridiculous, unlike Europe where you can get a deal, I mean they reduce prices to get seats filled, not increase them!!! But hey, life is short..........I will take a few days of squitty runs to be back:-))))))
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Re: Temporary ban on drinking city water
[Re: pburke40]
#198444
06/23/2019 03:39 PM
06/23/2019 03:39 PM
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Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 721
bran
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There is good info concerning this issue on Jeff Berger’s Everything St Maarten fb page. what does it basically say please?......don't/wont do facebook
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Re: Temporary ban on drinking city water
[Re: bran]
#198447
06/23/2019 04:24 PM
06/23/2019 04:24 PM
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,698 Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman
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Auburn, WA
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Here is what they said. "The sanitary control of water intended for consumption is part of the prerogatives of the Regional Health Agency (ARS). In St. Martin, the formal and institutional search for bromates in drinking water does not seem to have been done up to the measurements made in May 2019. The only existing measures available to the EEASM are sporadic self-analyses carried out by the delegatee (GDE at the time) since 2010, when this measurement has been implemented by the decree of January 21, 2010 amending the decree of January 11, 2007 concerning the program of sampling and analysis of health control for water supplied by a distribution network.
While this element may at first glance seem worrisome since the production process has not changed since 2006, it is important that no major crisis related to the ingestion of bromates and the symptoms described by the ARS has been identified since then. The current measures are therefore precautionary.
New analyzes of the bromate level have already been ordered by the EEASM with a strong demand for shorter delays in the restitution of the results so that the necessary corrective and / or palliative measures can be adapted as quickly as possible.
Reaction and outlook
The EEASM is of course very concerned by this new data and is naturally engaged in increasing the quality of water delivered to the population. However, studies of the impact of bromates at such low levels on health are scarce, as the phenomenon has been globally identified only recently.
Since the production systems and production conditions are the same in Saint-Martin and Saint Barts which experiences a similar bromate-related situation, the EEASM had already asked its delegatee to both allow self-monitoring of bromate levels and provide the technical means for these rates to comply with the applicable standards (10 μg / l in France). Concerning the analyzes and deadlines which alter the rates, the material for immediate measures is now available locally in Saint Barts where the investment has been made by a private laboratory. Also, it is important to note that the rates recorded by the ARS in Saint-Martin in May 2019 are three times lower than those found in Saint Barts .
In the first time, physico-chemical parameters along the production and distribution chain of drinking water will be modified in order to reduce these bromate levels.
In the medium term, the EEASM has started a deep renovation of the production system with a deadline of 8 months and the "bromate" date is naturally taken into account in this rehabilitation of the production tool.
The EEASM also intends to extend its partnership with the ARS so as to better the exchange of information between the two structures, particularly those related to water quality analyzes, and to improve the alert system for the population and the possible crisis management.
The bromates that develop over the distribution system are a direct consequence of the production practices and are a common element in all waters produced by desalination and are thus more and more monitored all over the world.
Immediate distribution to the most vulnerable
Without delay, the Collectivité of Saint-Martin and the EEASM have decided to distribute water to the most vulnerable populations (Hospital, EHPAD, schools and public services more generally), The means of distribution and the beneficiaries may be adapted depending on the results and progress made to reduce these bromate levels.
Keep yourself posted!
We invite the general public to follow the press releases that the Collectivité and the EEASM will elaborate as the situation evolves.
Reminder of the instructions issued under the precautionary principle:
Prohibition of drinking, for cooking or brushing teeth
The water can be used for the following purposes: WC, cleaning surfaces, washing clothes and dishes, showers while being careful not to swallow it.
There is no risk of dermal absorption."
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Re: Temporary ban on drinking city water
[Re: Julius]
#198512
06/24/2019 01:15 PM
06/24/2019 01:15 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,673 Central Florida!
Carol_Hill
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Central Florida!
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UpdateI'm not sure I'm understanding this story, but apparently it is saying that these tests have not been performed at all since 2010?
Carol Hill
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