Tap water

I drink the tap water and (when I remember to) take fluoride supplements. Our dentist told us to have our son drink tap water, not bottled water, as most of the bottled water in Bulgaria has a higher mineral content than the tap water.

When I first moved here, I was with a US organization who takes health and safety rather seriously, and they offered water purifiers if we wanted them, but no longer required that we use them, which to me meant the tap water was fine to drink for an extended period of time.

I have been doing long stays in Bulgaria 4 to 6 months at a time since 2007, I have always drank the tap water here with no Ill affects, I must admit I now use a filter jug, just like I do when I am in the UK. In the summer here I use a 19 litre water cooler for no other reason that I have nice chilled water ready when I want It without having to stock the fridge with bottled water.

I drink from the tap daily, no problems

tap water is o.k. in Sofia. However if pipes are old, sometimes it does not have the perfect taste. Use a filter jug. Problem solved.

Thanks everybody for your input- I think I'll invest in a filter jug 😊

Not the only solution: I myself have installed a two stage water filetring system in my kitchen. Initial costs are close to these for a filter jug. Longterm  - considerably lower.

Thanks Kristiann,

What did this involve doing? I'm all for keeping costs down as we live on a rather tight budget.

Not much of a work. I just bought two filter containers and two filters - one for the hard particles and one carbon based, and then attached these with two flexible pipes at the entrance of the cold water. One after another. That's it.

The company I bought everything from was selling a third type of filter but I decided that it is not necessary for the tap water in Bulgaria.

Thanks Kristiann,
Are you able to give the name and model of the filters and the company that you used? I'm still researching my options.,

The name of the company is Aqua Systems and the model which I chose was according to the awailable space and stages of filtering required, so you'd better check which will suite you best.

Thank you very much 😊

Drink tap water in Sofiar.in/sofia]Drink tap water in Sofia[/url]. It looks like most locals don't.

Jules999.  Boiling the water will not get rid of the minerals.  If you boil any water for long enough the water will evaporate leaving the minerals behind. It is how they extract salt from sea water. Also, you can not survive drinking only demineralised water. You would need to take mineral supplements also. Our bodies need it.

I don't know what you think mineralised water will do to your joints.  I have a home in Cornwall UK as well as BG.  Cornwall has some of the "softest" (highly demineralised) water in the UK and we also have the highest prevalence of hip and knee replacements.  The water is so "soft" it is useless  for making beer unless you add a gypsum or calcium chloride to make up the calcium mineral deficit.  It's fine for cider though because the skins of apples have a high mineral content.  Do you eat apples?

I would be more worried drinking bottled water.  Bottled water  contains high levels of hydrocarbons that leach from the plastic bottle into the water over time.  Always check the use by date on any bottled water and never refill / reuse plastic bottles.  Personally,  I never drink anything that has been stored in plastics for any length of time, including beer.  There are plenty of good beers stored in glass bottles.

On the subject of not refilling plastic bottles, all of the 19 liter bottles you pay a deposit on, at Masterhouse  for example you take them back when you get a new one, the one you take back is cleaned and refilled to be sold again.

Or a water distiller, pure water, costs about £0.50p electric to make 4 litres.
A glass jug is a good option, and all the internals including the condensation pipe should be stainless steel not aluminium.
I have had a megahome 4 litre distiller for 6 years without any issues, cost around £150.

The less plastic contact with water the better.

Drinking distilled water is an unsafe practice. You need to be adding minerals or it will kill you.

And recycled plastics? Yes i know plastic bottles are reused but personalty i will not consume any food or drink that comes in plastics including yogurt, milk or margarine.  Nor will i drink from plastic cups or use plastic cutlery.

Look at the bottom of the bottle or container.  There will be a triangle containing a number. Water usually is contained in #1: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). it is typically used to make bottles for soft drinks, water, juice, mouthwash, sports drinks and containers for condiments like ketchup, salad dressing, jelly and jam, PET is considered safe, but it can actually leach the toxic metal antimony, which is used during its manufacture. Also, modem kettles can be plastic.  Use a copper or stainless steel kettle that has no plastic parts, preferably one that sits on your stove.

The use of plastics with foods and drinks is a highly dangerous practice not only to us but it enters the water supply in tiny participials and kills marine life but the oil companies will never tell you this because it will dent their profits.  Just remember.....  plastic is a petrochemical.

As for tap water. The general rule of thumb is... the more mountains a country has the safer the water will be.

As for water filters, only use filters that are contained in copper or stainless steel housings.  Plastic jug types are dangerous. Plus, if you are removing minerals from your water you need to think about taking a mineral supplement in your diet to replace what you are removing.

As for tap water, modern plumbing often uses plastic in pipework. This plastic is ridged  and is currently considered safe.  The danger comes from chemicals added to plastics to make them heat resistant, flexible or and transparent like in processed foods

More info on plastics in food and drink can be found here. https://articles.mercola.com/sites/arti … c-use.aspx

PottyPolly wrote:

Drinking distilled water is an unsafe practice. You need to be adding minerals or it will kill you.

And recycled plastics? Yes i know plastic bottles are reused but personalty i will not consume any food or drink that comes in plastics including yogurt, milk or margarine.  Nor will i drink from plastic cups or use plastic cutlery.

Look at the bottom of the bottle or container.  There will be a triangle containing a number. Water usually is contained in #1: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). it is typically used to make bottles for soft drinks, water, juice, mouthwash, sports drinks and containers for condiments like ketchup, salad dressing, jelly and jam, PET is considered safe, but it can actually leach the toxic metal antimony, which is used during its manufacture. Also, modem kettles can be plastic.  Use a copper or stainless steel kettle that has no plastic parts, preferably one that sits on your stove.

The use of plastics with foods and drinks is a highly dangerous practice not only to us but it enters the water supply in tiny participials and kills marine life but the oil companies will never tell you this because it will dent their profits.  Just remember.....  plastic is a petrochemical.

As for tap water. The general rule of thumb is... the more mountains a country has the safer the water will be.

As for water filters, only use filters that are contained in copper or stainless steel housings.  Plastic jug types are dangerous. Plus, if you are removing minerals from your water you need to think about taking a mineral supplement in your diet to replace what you are removing.

As for tap water, modern plumbing often uses plastic in pipework. This plastic is ridged  and is currently considered safe.  The danger comes from chemicals added to plastics to make them heat resistant, flexible or and transparent like in processed foods

More info on plastics in food and drink can be found here. https://articles.mercola.com/sites/arti … c-use.aspx

Please can you provide proof of your two highlighted claims.

Not quite so black and white, at least as far as the human body is concerned; with regards to minerals in water:

“good minerals” – are things like calcium, magnesium and potassium.
“not so good” –  are things like lead, arsenic, antimony, aluminium, barium, etc.

Not all waters are the same, some regions are blessed with good stuff, others with not so good stuff.