Is there a traveler to Mexico who hasn't heard that warning multiple times from well meaning and concerned friends, co-workers and relatives as soon as they announce a south of the border holiday?
The warning is good – when it’s presented in the proper context. To be more correct, it would be better to warn folks by saying, “Be sure to drink pure water!”
All residents and visitors of Mexico (yes, even Mexicans) always use bottled, boiled, or purified water for brushing teeth, making coffee and tea, making ice cubes and for drinking.
Here at Lake Chapala the water that comes into our homes is pumped from deep wells scattered across the area. The water pumped from those wells is pure and clean – but we assume that as the water travels through underground pipes to our homes and is stored in our home’s water storage tanks, it may become contaminated.
We choose to err on the side of safety, as do our Mexican neighbors and drink purified water.
Most of us use purified water that is delivered to our homes in five-gallon plastic jugs, similar to those you've seen back home.
When the water delivery truck passes my house every day or two, the driver cries, "AGUA." The driver carries the bottle into my house, wipes off the top of the bottle with a cloth, and puts the full
garafon upside down in my ceramic dispenser. I pay him $26 pesos plus a two peso tip ($2.08 US at yesterday’s rate of 12.5 to $1 US). That's all it takes to maintain my supply of drinking water.
If you are staying in a B&B or hotel, the management will provide you with a bottle of purified water a day. Some inns have a garafon of water in a public area so you can refill your bottle; others have installed water purification systems to provide pure water to the cold water faucet in your room. Always ask to be certain that the water in the sink is purified before you drink it or use it to brush your teeth.
Ordering Water in a Restaurant
If you order a glass of water in a Lakeside restaurant, let me assure you that you will be served purified water. The waiters won’t forget…they’ve never used water from the faucets for drinking. If you specify “bottled” or “purified” water, the cost of the bottle will usually be added to your bill (usually a bit over one dollar).
While I’m absolutely sure that a glass of water in a restaurant at Lake Chapala is safe to drink, when I'm traveling in other areas of Mexico, I am far more careful; I only drink water from sealed bottles.
Of Course You Can Have Ice in Your Drink
Far too many visitors and tourists think that they will become sick if they use ice in their soft drinks or water while they are in Mexico.
While that may once have been true, today you can safely enjoy ice cold limonada (limeade), iced tea, Coca Cola, or a mixed drink.
Mexican law governing the production of ice requires that all cylinder-shaped pieces of ice with a hole in the middle and other uniformly shaped pieces of ice must be made with purified water. The cylinders are the most commonly used ice pieces; they’re manufactured in the same plants where purified water is bottled.
Always avoid using ice that is being chipped or shaved from a large ice block. While most of those blocks are safely manufactured, it is impossible to discern the difference.
How it works: Mexican water systems We mentioned home water storage tanks in this article. Do you know the difference between a tinaco and an aljibe? Do you know why you should be sure your new Mexican house has both?
To answer these and other questions about Mexican water systems, be sure to read the Mexico Insights entry about Mexican Water Systems
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