Drinking the right amount of water can prevent us from developing many diseases, including those of the digestive system and the skin. It is therefore important to pay attention to where the water you drink comes from. Do you drink tap water only for convenience or you boil or filter the water before drinking it, as most doctors recommend? If you have questions about drinking tap water in the Bahamas, this article is for you. Keep reading to get more information about drinking tap water in the Bahamas.
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Drinking water is generally of good quality
Drinking tap water in the Bahamas is generally of good quality and safety is considered to be well regulated. However, as in any hot tropical country, there are still some precautions that wise visitors prefer to take.
- First of all, although tap water is considered good, you can still stick to bottled water. It is useless to take risks during a visit and even if the water is safe from the point of view of chemicals and insects, the differences in mineral composition can still upset the stomach.
- Secondly, if you’re buying bottled water, make sure the cap is tightly closed, and that no one has just filled an empty bottle with tap water (or worse).
- Thirdly, if you are buying bottled water (especially large gallon containers), look at the expiration date on that bottle. In a hot climate, plastic can degrade very quickly and dissolve in water. This can create an unpleasant taste. Always buy water that is within its use-by date and try to choose the most recent bottles on the shelves to get the best possible product.
- Finally, like everywhere in the world, do not consume ice, or do not drink drinks with ice if you are not sure of its origin. If you have a sensitive stomach, it is best to completely avoid ice if you are travelling on the Bahamas Island.
Use cistern water only for cooking, coffee, and ice cubes
Do not risk your health by drinking cistern water. Some people drink water from tanks without a problem, but this is due to the acclimatization of their bodies in the natural environment. You can still use the water from the cistern for cooking, coffee, and ice, but be sure to boil the water.
How to purify your tap water naturally with moringa seeds
Since the quality of tap water is not guaranteed everywhere in the Bahamas, it will be better if you know how to purify the water you drink.
If you want to drink tap water, you can also invest in moringa seeds to purify it. Often sold in powder form, they can purify water up to 95%. The proteins they contain bind to water and retain impurities in it.
Moringa is a small tree from tropical or subtropical regions, whose seeds are used to treat and purify water. Research by the University of Uppsala in Sweden has shown that the proteins in Moringa seeds can provide a method of purifying water.
Its particularities:
Moringa seeds contain proteins that, once in the water, bind to impurities and facilitate the separation of water and contaminants. The addition of powdered moringa seeds purifies the water by eliminating 90 to 99% of bacteria.
The proteins in these seeds carry a positive electrical charge which allows them to clarify polluted and cloudy water.
The antibacterial properties of these seeds also eliminate the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the water.
Use 50 to 150 mg of moringa seed powder for 1 litre of water. It is a really interesting and 100% natural way to guarantee the quality of the water you drink.
The Bahamas will improve access to drinking water
An $ 81 million loan will finance improved water pressure, quality, and volume for 38,000 New Providence households.
In the Bahamas, The key parts of the water infrastructure in New Providence will be renovated with an $81 million loan approved by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The five-year program is expected to halve the amount of water lost due to leaks in New Providence, by reducing the losses of the precious drinking water and improving the viability of local water providers.
A total of 6,000 leaks will be repaired and 9,000 new water connections will be activated upon completion of the project. In addition, water pressure and continuity are expected to increase significantly, which will improve service for the 38,000 homes already connected to the water network.
One of the project leaders of the IDB stated that the ratio of fresh water to the population of the Bahamas is low compared to the other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. He also said that the available freshwater quantity per inhabitant is smaller than 0.1% (0.1 percent) of the average in the region, which highlights the real problems to solve in Latin America and the Caribbean region.
The operation will result in the creation of a new independent environmental regulatory agency to protect the country’s scarce freshwater resources, as well as a new economic regulator. It also aims to strengthen the management of the Water and Sewerage Company, the country’s main water service provider, by setting up a monitoring system to facilitate operation and maintenance.
The program will also address potential health risks by rehabilitating damaged infrastructure and developing a master plan for wastewater collection and treatment in New Providence.
Conclusion
Water can be potable in large urban areas of the Bahamas. This means that the water is chlorinated and that the inhabitants drink it from the tap without a problem. However, some strains of E. coli for which you may not have immunity, may be present in small concentrations and cause diarrhea. To simply check your drinking water you can use one of the portable kits like SipSafer™ Bottled water is recommended for the first few weeks, while your body is developing immunity.
However, in rural areas of the Bahamas, the water should be considered contaminated. Bring all tap water to a good boil if you want to drink, brush your teeth, or make ice. Otherwise, buy bottled water from reputable brands.
You can also really consider purifying your water at home with moringa seeds.