Water purification

Have you had your water tested in a local laboratory?
Years ago, we used a ultraviolet system for ground water, here in CR.
There are many problems caused by animals previously being raised on, near or downhill of rural properties.

I just remembered that we used this business while living in another location, so you may want to contact Jim Ryan that owns a company that is located in Liberia, Guanacaste and is involved in both solar and water treatment.

To drink quebrada water you would want to have it tested first of all , for bacteria like giardia or similar, and for chemicals etc.

A "filter" will probably not do it, you'll need a reverse osmosis or more likely, a distillation system.

If you use distillation don't forget to add minerals back in or take a mineral supplement as distilled water will not provide minerals and will deplete them from your body as well. But it's perfectly do-able as long as you take a good mineral supplement, preferably a liquid one. And / or eat plenty of fresh veges and fruits, kelp, spirulina etc

kohlerias wrote:

Have you had your water tested in a local laboratory?
Years ago, we used a ultraviolet system for ground water, here in CR.
There are many problems caused by animals previously being raised on, near or downhill of rural properties.

Any idea how to find a good qualified water testing lab in Costa Rica and how much it costs to have your water checked?
As I said in the other post, one would want to make sure they check for bacteria, chemicals, and various other things like mercury, lead, etc.
Here's an idea of the kind of stuff one should check for, but perhaps even more things here in Costa Rica:
Water Filter Comparisons
Note: Even a filter like the one on that page would not be suitable for creek water which would require distillation or something. The link above is just an idea of the kinds of things a filter in the USA filters out of tap water.

Thank you.  Excellent points.  We had the water tested in San Isidro for about $25.  It came back negative for consumption.  We are looking at a reverse osmosis system.  The builder claims its all doable.  We will get it tested periodically.

There is a water testing place in San Ramon across from Claro - the Claro office across from the park.  There is a "loboritorio" sign  above the office.

They test just about anything - blood, soil, e5c., etc.

Good to know, re the lab, Dave. Thanks.

Hello,

I am looking to start a water conditioning company in Costa Rica.  Our services will include RO Systems (whole house and under sink) Carbon (removes THC amd chlorine along with other odors and taste) softeners amd various other products that can be tailored to the water source. 

Is this a sercvice that is needed? 

Thanks!

Mrg0901 wrote:

Hello,

I am looking to start a water conditioning company in Costa Rica.  Our services will include RO Systems (whole house and under sink) Carbon (removes THC amd chlorine along with other odors and taste) softeners amd various other products that can be tailored to the water source. 

Is this a sercvice that is needed? 

Thanks!

A good water filter independently lab tested and certified (such as by the NSF) would be great. Personally I would not buy one that was not tested and approved by an independent and known lab.

"A good water filter independently lab tested and certified (such as by the NSF) would be great. Personally I would not buy one that was not tested and approved by an independent and known lab."



So each individual water source required certain filtration.  Even adjacent water wells can require different types of filtration.  It also depends totally on what people want (some people want the high mineral water) and some don't. 

We would be able to say your water has ABC in it, and we can remove ABC with these filters (branded filters like Culligan that have the research and development and independent testing).  We would also be able to submit your water to a lab for independent verification.  We would also provide annual service (or more often as needed) and compliance / verification testing of samples.

Sounds good. The water in Costa Rica is - generally - said to be quite good so not sure really how many gringos would buy a filter. Probably quite a few would if the price wasn't too high. Have you investigated bringing those brands of filters here? I would imagine it would cost a lot in shipping and import taxes as filters are heavy.

I really do not know but I don't think there would be a big market for water filters among Ticos. I've yet to meet a Tico who was concerned about the quality of their water. They all seem to think it's "great" ... and ours was tested and supposedly came out good.

But what do they TEST FOR I wonder? There are hundreds of contaminants in water even in the USA, even with all the cleaning they do of it! So here, who knows? If you live in the country there may be run off from farms in the water.

I use a Multipure filter which is NSF Certified to filter out many contaminants of health concern. I don't know what contaminants may be in our water so I use this "shotgun approach" because these filters reduce over 100+ common contaminants.

As you mentioned, using a Reverse Osmosis filtration system is also a good way to go if you don't care about removing all the minerals from the water. I prefer not to use that system but in some cases it may be necessary.

Be aware that some RO systems require a lot of electricity and waste a lot of water, and both electricity and water here are generally more expensive than in the USA.

You also need to look at the'rules 'n' regs' regarding living and/or 'working' here/running a business  legally.

As mentioned earlier in this post this company have provided info.and service for many years.

While the water quality is good (and safe), it is really hard.  That can be real difficult on non-pvc piping.  Pretty much any appliance in your house that has a heat exchanger (copper) will deteriorate quickly with hard water (water heater, dish washer, ect).  It also reduces the amount of detergents needed for things like laundry or bathing.  There is also the highly controversial topic of hard water and kidney stones (research is still mixed on a positive link between the two), but some customers insist that's why they want it.  It also removes a bulk of iron (rust rings).  There are both electric and non-electric models as well as salt free that require no back washing (waste water).  The guy in Liberia sells the no-salt variety which is great for some applications, but does lack in some areas (just as salt ones are good for some applications and lack in some areas)   

Our under sink RO system uses no electricity but does produce waste at a 1-1 ration (1 gallon of filtered water to 1 gallon of waste water).   It's a multi-stage filter that removes chlorine and particulates and the RO water removes the TDS or total dissolved solids (its what gives the water a salty or rocky taste).  Some people like that taste (Evian water is an example of a high TDS bottled water), however some people don't and some people who require sodium reduction in their diet like it because the RO removes most salts from the water.  Most people who choose the RO systems do so to replace buying bottled water (it's typically out of a second spigot or from the refrigerator).  It's a small unit that can produce 95 gallons a day (most people don't drink near that much, but some customers use it for their fish tanks and plants). 

There is also Trihalomethanes (THM) which is a byproduct of chlorine reacting with certain organic matter.   It's a known carcinogen and requires a catalytic type carbon to remove.  Most shelf or drinking pitcher filter(s) can remove about 95% of THM's present, but a whole home carbon filter would ensure that all the potable water is treated.  Whole house carbon and catalytic carbon filters require no electricity or back washing.  They do require periodic maintenance (re-bedding every two years or so). 

Those are the big three items from treated water supplies (municipal).  Well water can have a host of other issues which can be treated. 

Looks like the guy in Liberia (mentioned earlier in the thread) has some good solutions to well water and rainwater harvesting.  While similar service, his is different solutions to same type of problem.  Its like a metal roof vs shingles.  Both are good quality products, both have their pros and cons and in the end, it's up to the customer to make that choice based on their needs and wishes.

I use 0 water filtration.

I don't use filtration for drinking because the water is amazing, however, for longevity of appliances it is necessary (and cleaning/showering if you don't like hard water).  I agree with the Big Berkly suggestion!

Justagirl8870 wrote:

I don't use filtration for drinking because the water is amazing, however, for longevity of appliances it is necessary (and cleaning/showering if you don't like hard water).  I agree with the Big Berkly suggestion!

Big Berkey is said to be pretty good. One thing I don't like about them though is that they "imply" they are NSF Certified but they are not. They are certified "to NSF standards" which means they use the same standards (allegedly) but without the guarantee that the testing is done by an independent non-profit organization like the NSF itself.

Multipure on the other hand is actually NSF tested, has a lifetime warranty and they've been in business with filters manufactured in the USA since 1970 or so. However they will not ship to CR so I get my filter when someone visits or I go to the USA for a few days.

A Multipure filter will work with any water except well water or spring water, because they don't kill giardia or other bacteria. For that you need either a good NSF approved Reverse osmosis or Distillation system.

The water where I live is from a spring high up in the mountains, is processed at a plant where they add chlorine (and ?) to add security to it, and it tastes good. Still I use my Multipure just in case suddenly it would begin to have chemicals along the supply line somehow.

That said, the water pretty much everywhere in Costa Rica is drinkable, unlike Mexico.