Can the water be filtered?

We built our home here and have a whole house system, 1micron sediment filter, and two carbon filters, all 4.5 x 20 inch, a water softener, and a U.V.light. I think it is overkill but we can drink out of any faucet or tap inside or outside of the house without any worries at all.

That rocks      We brought this up to our builder and he said it would cost a fortune for the whole house. Although he says that for just about everything!

Same system I had but without the UV light. Even for bathing the water feels much better because it's soft water.
My system was from Siagua IIRC.  Installed on the feed line into the house.
Fairly simple to maintain. Backflush the carbon filters keep the salt and chlorine filled and you're good to good.
Controls need to be on the inverter to keep everything cycling.

So a berkey filter isnt enough??

Tropicalcandy88 wrote:

So a berkey filter isnt enough??

I'm not familiar with the Berkey system Tropicalcandy

But as an observation, I think it would be wise to buy a system that you can get technical support here on the island.

I have had the well water tested by a lab in Santo Domingo at several entry points and it came back potable.  So what does that mean exactly?  The answer to every question in the DR is It depends.  Where, when etc.  Remember the primary reason for some well water not being drinkable is because it is not monitored, filtered or treated.  Does that make it poisonous or dangerous?  No, it does not.  But you cannot be too careful with water.   

My dog drinks our tap water every day and there has never been an issue.  I throw a little bleach into the cistern every once in a while and all is good.  We wash our vegetables, use it when it has been boiled for coffee and tea,  brush our teeth with it etc.  Never an issue.

I think you will find a small inexpensive system added to your kitchen for drinking water will more than suffice (once you have been here a while and have built up your immune system a bit).   The $500 range comes to mind. 

I live in the Punta Cana area and have my own well.  Your area may be different.

Lennox...you must have all the stats ever created to help out here...what's your take?

EcoServe in Sosua..... whole house system = $2000US

Filters and UV as described earlier......

EcoServe has good service.  Very convenient to have drinkable water at all the taps.

@Laura Walker - are you using that with municipal or well water? Are you not concerned about bacteria and other pathogens?

Municipal water.  Check with EcoServe in Sosua, but my understanding is that the level of "pathogens" in the water after the EcoServe application is comparable to RO and other filtration systems.

Snowinpalm - My question was to Laura Walker who is using a different filter that doesn't appear to include UV treatment. The EcoServe system we're planning to use includes UV to kill the pathogens.

@DominicanadaMike

mike i was wondering how much bleach you put in the cistern and will it make the water a little softer … my cistern is roughly 12' x 12' x 10' deep , had it built 2 years ago and was wondering what or if i should be adding something to it

Bleach is not one of the options listed that will "soften" water:

https://www.waterev.com/guide-how-to-soften-hard-water/

BTW:  Chlorine: chlorine is toxic and affects not only the surface of the skin but also the lungs, stomach, and intestines.

@ddmcghee

The UV filter system I have will also have a filter after it goes through the UV filter - I'm deciding on a one or two fiter unit. My wifes daughter and family had a single filter in the little house they rented from his father before  building their own house. It worked well - after drinking water there several times I then noticed the filter & watched them fill a bottle to go into the fridge - so much for extreme care & caution - no issues or problems but I it is dependant upon the area as to how many pollutants/undesirable particles are in the water hence the number of filters that may be needed - three is a usual grouping I see around Moca or when at feritteras in Santiago.

@Tippj

Think of it like a swimming pool, get a test kit, check the PH.  I add about a cup of water to a 25000 litre cistern every once in a while.  My water always looks clear, never smells and has not been an issue.  No skin or health issues in almost 10 years.  Even this year with extreme heat I haven't done anything differently.  Bleach is weaker than chlorine and people swim in pools every day.  I'm pretty confident that this is not going to be an issue and it is what locals have been doing for a very long time.  Again, it's not for drinking...

I think you meant you add a cup of bleach?

I've been adding the chlorine tablets to ours. I may try the bleach. It would certainly be cheaper.