How to Always Know the Quality of Your Water in Mexico
Last updated October 2023
"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water" - Loren Eislely
Sure, it sounds cliché but water is a miracle. It always accompanies us. It makes up about 60% of our bodies. We are born from it. States from California to Florida have fought for decades over it. Historically, people have displayed their wealth via vast green lawns and ornate fountains in ostentatious display of it. Water is often a metaphor for money, a rising tide floats all boats, liquid assets, a flood of cash, trickle down economics. It provides our most basic need, even more basic than food.
No wonder we are obsessed with water, it’s quality and availability. Since contaminated water is one of the leading sources of health problems in the world (the second leading cause of death globally), everyone should care about it.
While Mexico has made progress in the availability of potable water, there are plenty of situations in which you can’t know for sure of its quality, as in the case of many countries. The most common cause of waterborne illness is bacteria, which include cholera, E. coli and salmonella, but illnesses from water can also be caused by protozoa, viruses and chemical pollutants.
Drinking water in Mexico
Even when I lived in a resort where the water is supposedly filtered, disturbing yellow particles floated to the bottom of a drinking glass within a few hours. Ironically, many a tourist trying to eat healthy by ordering a green salad in Mexico has fallen ill because of lettuce washed by impure water. Natives drink their ubiquitous Coca-Cola's and most all drinks without or with very little ice.
Everyone who lives in Mexico either has filtered water or they get drinking water delivered in 20 liter bottles (garrafones) for around 28 pesos a bottle. The major suppliers in Mexico are Epura, Ciel and Bonafont. Efficient, sinewy men deliver these big water bottles and take the empties away for you. Empty plastic garrafones should be taken to OXXOs, the major convenience stores in Mexico, for recycling.
This digital water tester was recommended by the water service and costs about $75 dollars ($1,483 pesos) through Mercado Libre
The basic rules of drinking water in Mexico
Don’t drink the water from a tap, even in good hotels. Don't forget to fill ice trays with bottled water too. Wash vegetables with bottled water and a few drops of Mycr0dyn. Avoid exposure by not brushing your teeth with tap water.
Then you’re done, right? Maybe, maybe not.
After 13 years of living in Mexico, my business partner, The Intrepid Elise, was introduced to digital water testers by one of the water suppliers in town.
One of the most surprising things we learned was that even bottled water had varying levels of sediment. The quality of pureness varied from garrafon to garrafon, company to company.
The fact is that the water quality can be less than perfect even in bottled water that’s delivered to you. Neither she nor I have ever been ill, possibly because we have adapted to certain pathogens and take the regular precautions the locals take. With time, it becomes less and less likely you'll get sick.
Mexicans aren't cavalier about drinking tap water either, in spite of their customized immune systems. If you are a real water purist, you may want to consider a testing device from Amazon or Mercado Libre, Latin America’s Amazon.
The other rule: Don’t complain.
Mexicans are rightfully insulted by the big stink we Americans make about their water. Globally, potable water from a tap is more the exception that the rule. That you'd would come to a country with all of Mexico's charms and complain about the water seems pretty small-minded to them.
Taking a few precautions is just not a big a deal. Mexico’s water quality challenges are more common in the world than our cleaner water is. In a few weeks, you will be used to the precautions and not even think about it.
Related links:
Mercado Libre seems to have the largest selection of testers [Spanish]
There are a multitude of things to test for in your home, according to this article by Life Hacker.
About the author:
Hola! I'm Kerry Baker and a partner with Ventanas Mexico, which provides information and resources to potential expats about living in Mexico, like "If Only I Had a Place" on renting well in Mexico. Much more than a how-to, it gives you a fluid system that will be the infrastructure of the richest possible life as an expat.
“The Mexico Solution: Saving your money, sanity, and quality of life through part-time life in Mexico” is a how-to that’s sure to entertain while offering a guide to a new “mini life.”
The Lazy Expat: Healthy Recipes That Translate in Mexico is a cookbook for travelers, snowbirds and locals seeking to maintain a healthy diet. Over 150 recipes to keep you feeling your best on your Great Mexican Adventure.