TravelTalkOnline
Drinking tap water?
Posted By: BillDauterive
Drinking tap water? - 08/14/2019 10:49 PM
Is the tap water safe to drink in SXM? Dutch side? French side?
When I was there 20+ years ago it was good everywhere.
Posted By: SXMScubaman
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/14/2019 10:51 PM
Dutch side yes. French side no.
Posted By: BillDauterive
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/15/2019 12:38 AM
Hmm... OK. Dutch side is good.
So I'm gonna guess that includes ice at bars/restaurants on the French side. Good to know.
Posted By: SXMScubaman
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/15/2019 12:43 AM
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.
Posted By: SammyM
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/15/2019 01:02 AM
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.
Posted By: Bahston
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/15/2019 02:12 AM
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.
Posted By: BillDauterive
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/15/2019 11:55 AM
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.
Posted By: enzosxm
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/15/2019 12:07 PM
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..
Posted By: Tom
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/15/2019 12:50 PM
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.
Posted By: enzosxm
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/15/2019 01:00 PM
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.
Posted By: SammyM
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/15/2019 01:08 PM
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!
Posted By: RonDon
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/16/2019 12:09 PM
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?
Posted By: Tammy
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/16/2019 12:28 PM
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.
Posted By: eightzerobits
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/16/2019 12:47 PM
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.
Posted By: Tammy
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/16/2019 01:41 PM
Might taste bette out of cans.
I find coke in a can tastes so much better than coke in a bottle.
Posted By: SXMScubaman
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/16/2019 03:00 PM
Not me. Soda in bottles taste better than canned.
Posted By: sxmbeachlover
Re: Drinking tap water? - 08/22/2019 08:08 PM
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.
Posted By: jaxon60
Re: Drinking tap water? - 11/23/2019 06:30 AM
Here is an update on the French side drinking water:
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?
Posted By: Carol_Hill
Re: Drinking tap water? - 11/23/2019 01:37 PM
I already posted a link in a separate thread with the Daily Herald story about this.