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Drinking tap water? #202479
08/14/2019 06:49 PM
08/14/2019 06:49 PM
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 157
Arlen, TX
BillDauterive Offline OP
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BillDauterive  Offline OP
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Arlen, TX

Is the tap water safe to drink in SXM? Dutch side? French side?

When I was there 20+ years ago it was good everywhere.

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Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: BillDauterive] #202481
08/14/2019 06:51 PM
08/14/2019 06:51 PM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,568
Auburn, WA
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Auburn, WA
Dutch side yes. French side no.

Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: BillDauterive] #202487
08/14/2019 08:38 PM
08/14/2019 08:38 PM
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 157
Arlen, TX
BillDauterive Offline OP
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BillDauterive  Offline OP
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Hmm... OK. Dutch side is good.

So I'm gonna guess that includes ice at bars/restaurants on the French side. Good to know.

Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: BillDauterive] #202489
08/14/2019 08:43 PM
08/14/2019 08:43 PM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,568
Auburn, WA
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It depends whether the Bars on the french side are making their ice with tap or bottled water or buying premade ice from a vendor out of safe water. Not sure if I'd trust it but that's me.

Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: BillDauterive] #202493
08/14/2019 09:02 PM
08/14/2019 09:02 PM
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 933
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SammyM Offline
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If you're staying on the French side you might want to ask if the establishment has some type of water filtration system in place before assuming it's bad to ingest. There have been some recent issues with the water on French St. Martin, but I'd ask the locals first. Besides, if you just drink bottled beer you'll have nothing to worry about on Orient Beach.

Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: BillDauterive] #202496
08/14/2019 10:12 PM
08/14/2019 10:12 PM
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,882
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Bahston Offline
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Filtration doesn’t help with bromates.

I would be more concerned if I were a resident, drinking city water and cooking with it for years, rather than a visitor for a few weeks, drinking bottled water and clueless about whether or not restaurants are cooking with bottled water or city water.

Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: SammyM] #202507
08/15/2019 07:55 AM
08/15/2019 07:55 AM
Joined: Jun 2019
Posts: 157
Arlen, TX
BillDauterive Offline OP
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BillDauterive  Offline OP
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Originally Posted by SammyM
Besides, if you just drink bottled beer you'll have nothing to worry about on Orient Beach.


Being on Orient Beach with nothing to worry about is actually a goal of mine. So, yeah, I'll probably stick with canned/bottled beer and bottled water.

Thanks to all for the assistance.

Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: BillDauterive] #202510
08/15/2019 08:07 AM
08/15/2019 08:07 AM
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 112
sxm
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enzosxm Offline
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I have yet to see a published report on the Dutch side over the quality of water, and I mean in the last 37years I have been here. I know for sure that the French side being Europe they have very strict monitoring policies by law, but on the Dutch side??? The side that threats its own citizens and tourists with the magnificent toxic fumes of the garbage dump??!! I would not trust that.

Note: I am in the hospitality business in sxm therefore some on this forum might believe that I have a vested interest..

Last edited by enzosxm; 08/15/2019 08:08 AM.
Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: BillDauterive] #202512
08/15/2019 08:50 AM
08/15/2019 08:50 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 1,370
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Tom Offline
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I think the Netherlands are also in Europe for what that's worth.
I agree that the dump is a disgrace that SXM governments continue to avoid committing to fix.

Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: Tom] #202513
08/15/2019 09:00 AM
08/15/2019 09:00 AM
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 112
sxm
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enzosxm Offline
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St. Maarten is not Europe. We are are an autonomous country within the Dutch Kingdom, but we are not Europe. We have our own set of laws and regulations, as well as our own Parliament.

Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: Bahston] #202514
08/15/2019 09:08 AM
08/15/2019 09:08 AM
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 933
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SammyM Offline
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Bromates within the drinking water do pose a slight increased risk of cancer in something like 2 out of 10,000 people. With that said, there should be no bromates present in drinking water anywhere on St. Martin. Bromates can be removed from drinking water through a process called reverse osmosis -- a process that I use at home to filter water for my marine aquarium which I've maintained since 1995. I wouldn't suggest asking about this on the French side, but if a facility is using this process given the present status of the water then there would be nothing to worry about. But, I would still prefer bottled beer!

Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: BillDauterive] #202589
08/16/2019 08:09 AM
08/16/2019 08:09 AM
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,348
Rhode Island
RonDon Offline
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Be on the safe side and drink beer or bottled water. And hard liquor straight.

What I wonder about is what happens when they ban plastic bottles? Will water come in cans?

Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: BillDauterive] #202596
08/16/2019 08:28 AM
08/16/2019 08:28 AM
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 144
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Tammy Offline
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Long time ago in BVIs soda used to come in reusable glass bottles.
People would take their old empty bottles when going to purchase new soda and pay less.
Without the old bottles it cost more.
Their version of recycling with an incentive to do so.

Also in some parts of the world milk and juice come in bags. I don't know if plastic in bags is more environmentally friendly than plastic in bottles.

Last edited by Tammy; 08/16/2019 08:38 AM.

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Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: RonDon] #202600
08/16/2019 08:47 AM
08/16/2019 08:47 AM
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 312
Rhode Island
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eightzerobits Online content
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I heard the other day that one of the US bottled water brands is adding aluminum cans. AB inBev cans water for disasters as well, so it’s not unheard of.

Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: BillDauterive] #202603
08/16/2019 09:41 AM
08/16/2019 09:41 AM
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 144
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Tammy Offline
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Might taste bette out of cans.
I find coke in a can tastes so much better than coke in a bottle.


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Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: Tammy] #202607
08/16/2019 11:00 AM
08/16/2019 11:00 AM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,568
Auburn, WA
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Not me. Soda in bottles taste better than canned.

Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: BillDauterive] #203029
08/22/2019 04:08 PM
08/22/2019 04:08 PM
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 721
Colorado
sxmbeachlover Offline
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Colorado
Until the French side has a solution to their Bromide problem, I would drink bottled water, even though the risk is low, why take the risk? According to my local beer brewer, who is very ecologically conscious, beverages in cans are much better than in glass, for recycling. I would think the same could be said then about water. There is plenty of water available in cans right now.


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Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: BillDauterive] #209686
11/23/2019 02:30 AM
11/23/2019 02:30 AM
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 246
Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada
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jaxon60 Offline
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Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada
Here is an update on the French side drinking water:

Quote
Bromate pollution: a way out of the crisis in mid-December

Following the discovery of the presence of bromates in the distributed water, the EEASM opted, after studying various technical solutions, for a disinfection of the water produced by the chlorine dioxide, replacing the product currently used.

At the end of the various consultations and mandatory steps, the installation work of the chlorine dioxide generators is now complete. These devices, which aim to chemically act on the quality of water in order to make bromates disappear, will begin to operate this weekend with first trials of commissioning, with a "crisis exit" expected at mid-December, announces the EEASM in a press release.

This work may cause imponderable changes in the organoleptic parameters of the water (appearance, smell ...). The EEASM recalls in this regard that the ban measures decided by the ARS vis-à-vis the consumption of city water remain in force until further notice.

Throughout the process, the EEASM has planned a regular measurement campaign in order to gauge the evolution of the results, and to adapt the provisions if necessary, the ultimate goal being to find a water compliant not only with the health and regulatory obligations, but also to the vision of the public service and sustainable development that the EEASM has been carrying since its creation. The investment made to curb the development of bromates over the distribution represents a budget of €300,000, and benefits from financial aid from the State (50%) and the Community (35%).


http://www.soualigapost.com/fr/actualite/33361/%C3%A9nergie-eau/pollution-aux-bromates-une-sortie-de-crise-%C3%A0-la-mi-d%C3%A9cembre?



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Re: Drinking tap water? [Re: jaxon60] #209696
11/23/2019 09:37 AM
11/23/2019 09:37 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,481
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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I already posted a link in a separate thread with the Daily Herald story about this.


Carol Hill

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