posted
The bottled water business sprang around 15-20 years ago. I was convinced by media that tab water was not safe unless filtered, boiled … but bottled water was supposed to be not only clean but natural (or other way around . Now I am learning that in fact the bottled water is nothing but filtered and chemically processed tab water! And there are so many titles in the market so that it is difficult to decide which one is reasonably good/safe.
I was wondering what brand of water is your favorite here in Egypt?
Posts: 132 | From: Alex | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
What are you saying? Nestle is bottled tap water? Maybe so, but at least it tastes better than the actual tap water. I can see the difference when I fill a glass. The tap water is cloudy and milky and white. The nestle is clear.
It's been know for years in the US that bottled water was tap water. They even went into one of the bottling plants and showed the bottles being filled by a faucet. Can't remember what brand it was though. Poland Springs, Evian???
I don't believe the labels that say bottled at the source in the French Alps...bottled in France maybe - from a faucet near the Alps.
Posts: 1626 | From: whatever, wherever | Registered: Jul 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
I was also initially for Nestle. But my husband believes that Nestle company is corrupt and puts its name on anything and everything without consideration. Well...
Posts: 132 | From: Alex | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
I used to drink tap water but hubby was concerned about its safety so after 4 years I started on mineral water. 2 kidney stones later I have gone back to tap water filtered. If you look at the calcium levels in mineral water and you are susceptable to calcium stones seems like a sensible decision to stick to tap water
-------------------- Jane Akshar UK Co-owner of www.flatsinluxor.co.uk Appartments and Tours in Luxor Posts: 2791 | From: www.flatsinluxor.co.uk, Luxor, Egypt | Registered: Jan 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Tap water, always have and never had any issues with it.
-------------------- If you don't learn from your mistakes, there's no sense making them. Posts: 15090 | From: http://www.egyptalk.com/forum/ | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
We have an American tap water filter, namely Aquapure. cartidges are good for like 3-4 months, sold at Mahgoub or any renowned sanitary fitting supplies shop.
This filter gives everyday cooking and drinking water, point is to avoid water from storage tanks on top of your building (very common nowadays) since those tanks are contaminated with algae, germs, dirt and probably dead birds/geckos..
Bottled water is also an option.. Aquafina, Dasani, Nestlé being the best, followed by Siwa.
Posts: 3219 | From: Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone. | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Nasto: I was also initially for Nestle. But my husband believes that Nestle company is corrupt and puts its name on anything and everything without consideration. Well...
Well I'm sure this could be true...
The only bottled water I don't like in Egypt is Hayat. I find it has a chemical taste to it and it often smells like rotten eggs after you open the bottle.
Posts: 1626 | From: whatever, wherever | Registered: Jul 2008
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Dzosser: Bottled water is also an option.. Aquafina, Dasani, Nestlé being the best, followed by Siwa.
Perish the thought of the dead birds and geckos. Not to mention the corrosion and rust in the pipes of some of the older buildings. The heat beating down on the plumbing all day that leads to bacteria growth in standing water.
Aquafina and Siwa are good as well as Dasani. We usually get these at restaurants. But we have home delivery of Nestle so this is why we use it at home - not because I think it is a superior brand.
Posts: 1626 | From: whatever, wherever | Registered: Jul 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
I drink tap water no problem here in ireland, but anytime that iv drank tap water in egypt, iv been sick as a dog :/ not fun. i also noticed that my hair gets realllly weak in egypt, is there something funny in the water?
Posts: 140 | From: Ireland | Registered: Nov 2009
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Nasto: I was also initially for Nestle. But my husband believes that Nestle company is corrupt and puts its name on anything and everything without consideration. Well...
Are you avoiding all the other Nestlé products as well?
Posts: 2803 | Registered: Feb 2007
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Nasto: I was also initially for Nestle. But my husband believes that Nestle company is corrupt and puts its name on anything and everything without consideration. Well...
Are you avoiding all the other Nestlé products as well?
There was a woman I used to work with in England who used to talk about child labour and I how I should be ashamed of myself for eating a Kit Kat as Nestle were the biggest human abusers on the planet. Wow she annoyed me !!!
Posts: 11097 | From: Cairo | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Nasto: I was also initially for Nestle. But my husband believes that Nestle company is corrupt and puts its name on anything and everything without consideration. Well...
Are you avoiding all the other Nestlé products as well?
There was a woman I used to work with in England who used to talk about child labour and I how I should be ashamed of myself for eating a Kit Kat as Nestle were the biggest human abusers on the planet. Wow she annoyed me !!!
Posts: 11097 | From: Cairo | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Well, I think if someone makes a personal decision to boycott products made by a particular company for ethical reasons, that is perfectly fine. I do the same, but also realize that it is not really possible to go all the way. There are so many companies whose products are objectionable for political or other reasons. However, it's a personal decision and I would never tell others what they should or shouldn't buy.
The reason I was asking was that avoiding Nestlé products is quite difficult since they have so many brands. Maggi, Purina dogfood, Nido milk powder, Mövenpick + Häagen-Dazs ice cream, Buitoni, Thomy, Powerbar etc. ...
Posts: 2803 | Registered: Feb 2007
| IP: Logged |
What are you saying? Nestle is bottled tap water? Maybe so, but at least it tastes better than the actual tap water. I can see the difference when I fill a glass. The tap water is cloudy and milky and white. The nestle is clear.
It's been know for years in the US that bottled water was tap water. They even went into one of the bottling plants and showed the bottles being filled by a faucet. Can't remember what brand it was though. Poland Springs, Evian???
I don't believe the labels that say bottled at the source in the French Alps...bottled in France maybe - from a faucet near the Alps.
Reminds me of the Only Fools and Horses episode where they were filling bottles from the tap and selling it as Peckam Spring water Posts: 4476 | From: Scotland | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by *Dalia*: Well, I think if someone makes a personal decision to boycott products made by a particular company for ethical reasons, that is perfectly fine. I do the same, but also realize that it is not really possible to go all the way. There are so many companies whose products are objectionable for political or other reasons. However, it's a personal decision and I would never tell others what they should or shouldn't buy.
The reason I was asking was that avoiding Nestlé products is quite difficult since they have so many brands. Maggi, Purina dogfood, Nido milk powder, Mövenpick + Häagen-Dazs ice cream, Buitoni, Thomy, Powerbar etc. ...
Don't forget Nescafe... (I NEED Nescafe)
My theory on boycotting products etc is that the company will naturally lose revenue and simply reduce staffing and salaries so in peoples vain attempt to make a point they are actually harming the people they imagine they are protecting.
I don't care who does what, as long as they don't preach to me for not complying.
Ah, I am sure there is an online petition somewhere if folk wanna waste 23 seconds of their filling it out
I go to many Egyptian homes as part of my work and I can honestly state that around 80% only ever offer me tap water. I think bottled water is a luxury here as although I stated it is cheap it is also a non-essential item when it comes free out of a tap!
I have never been ill from the water in Egypt, in Ghana I was but that came out brown and if you accidentally got some in your mouth while showering you would soon become best friends with the loo!!!
Posts: 11097 | From: Cairo | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
What are you saying? Nestle is bottled tap water? Maybe so, but at least it tastes better than the actual tap water. I can see the difference when I fill a glass. The tap water is cloudy and milky and white. The nestle is clear.
It's been know for years in the US that bottled water was tap water. They even went into one of the bottling plants and showed the bottles being filled by a faucet. Can't remember what brand it was though. Poland Springs, Evian???
I don't believe the labels that say bottled at the source in the French Alps...bottled in France maybe - from a faucet near the Alps.
Reminds me of the Only Fools and Horses episode where they were filling bottles from the tap and selling it as Peckam Spring water
Yeah and also Dasani that was taken out of a tap... tut tut Coca Cola!!!
Spring water, that is what we all need... pure and uncontaminated! It has ran through mountains and valleys for hundreds of years but must be drank within 3 days of opening lmao....
Posts: 11097 | From: Cairo | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
Are you avoiding all the other Nestlé products as well?
Not purposely. It just happens this way due to diet and health issues. We do not buy Nescafe, for example, or chocolates. But CF’ comment reminded me that sometimes I like to have some Kit Kat. Guilty Posts: 132 | From: Alex | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by melissa87: I drink tap water no problem here in ireland, but anytime that iv drank tap water in egypt, iv been sick as a dog :/ not fun. i also noticed that my hair gets realllly weak in egypt, is there something funny in the water?
In Egypt I noticed the tap water smelled like a swimming pool in our flat. Lots of chlorine in it. I'm sure the water was germ free, but the high chlorine is not the best thing to consume either. The chlorine content probably weakened your hair when washing.
Reverse osmosis system (I could not find any good complete systems in egypt, would have to mail order one)... or a distiller (could not find one of those either) would probably be the best options if one wanted a continuous supply of pure water for consumption. Those cheap at the faucet carbon filters only really help with the taste and large particulates.
I dislike bottled water as it seems so wasteful with the disposable plastic bottles.
I got used to the tap water (or rather the chlorine in it) after awhile and was fine drinking it.
Posts: 409 | From: Betelgeuse | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
Mind you, round our way it is like drinking diluted bleach there's so much chlorine in it Sometimes it comes out the tap a bit white, but I think that's when they've just recholorinated or something because if you leave it to stand it goes clear. However, my normal process is to bottle the tap water when it's running clear and freeze it. My freezer box is full of frozen tap water plus a few bags of mixed veg.
Did get sick a couple of years ago from drinking from a fresh unopened bottle of water here (Bakara I think it was) - I know it was the bottle of water because a visitor also got sick and that was the only thing we had both had the same which other visitors had not had and who didn't get sick.
Also, one of the new developments by Orascom a few km down the road from me seems to be structuring it in right from the start. I haven't checked out what that means yet.
I separate out plastic bottles and glassware when I put my rubbish outside and don't compress tins because I know the zabaleen may eventually do something with it if it makes it over to the other side of town. I know someone somewhere goes through rubbish bags looking for plastic bottles tipping the rest of the rubbish all over the street
Cold water storage tanks after 10 years in NHS Estates (UK Hospitals) I can tell you a tale or two about the sights to be seen in the cold water storage tanks (cold water is often stored in tanks in attics in the UK especially in bigger buildings). Not sure whether it's now compulsory to put lids on them - certainly didn't used to be!
bottled water = tap water in the UK it was Desani that was caught out bottling tap water.
Nestle I used to boycott it in the UK but there were choices there - eg I used to buy Fairtrade coffee but its not available here. So I'm afraid I had a fight with my conscience which lost and I now am a regular Nescafe consumer. (I'm talking normal coffee granules here, not coffee you have to fiddle about with percolators and grinders etc - I'm not keen on that sort of coffee it's too strong for me and also all that fuss is too much like cooking for me and we all know how much I love to cook don't we girls and boys )
Posts: 5593 | From: Egypt | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Shanta Qadeama: I separate out plastic bottles and glassware when I put my rubbish outside and don't compress tins because I know the zabaleen may eventually do something with it if it makes it over to the other side of town.
posted
Plastic bottles are re-used and sorted from the rubbish. If I throw plastic bottles out I always put them in a separate bag.
Plastic bags are banned in hurghada, good idea I thought. All bags in shops there are recycled paper.
-------------------- If you don't learn from your mistakes, there's no sense making them. Posts: 15090 | From: http://www.egyptalk.com/forum/ | Registered: Jul 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Entirely coincidentally, when I was coming back home this afternoon, I saw the rubbish lorry in our compound - and it had those giant bags the zebaleen use on it, and two guys were sitting on top of the rubbish emptying out all the individual rubbish bags and hand-sorting in to the big ones. So I'm pretty sure we have zebaleen round here now, so that's good news.
Posts: 5593 | From: Egypt | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Ford Prefect (not perfect): In Egypt I noticed the tap water smelled like a swimming pool in our flat. Lots of chlorine in it. I'm sure the water was germ free, but the high chlorine is not the best thing to consume either.
That's the reason I am not drinking it ... the chlorine smell is just disgusting. It's the same in some places in the States though.
Posts: 2803 | Registered: Feb 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
My nightmare is that idiotic protection seal they have around the bottle's cap..Nestlé beats them all, there's no way you could open the darn bottle without using your teeth or a sharp edged tool. Posts: 3219 | From: Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone. | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
I decided to read up on water here and this is an article I thought was interesting.
Drinking water quality Egypt’s second urgent problem after scarcity is water quality. The Nile is the major drinking water source. Nile water is often below the minimum quality standards. A major reason is that only 36.1 % of the population is connected to the sewage network.[9] Therefore, a lot of untreated wastewater is released into the Nile.[10] The amount of water which is released into the Nile is 3.8 billion m³ per year, out of which only 35 % is treated properly.[10] Pathogenic pollution has been recorded since the 1980s and decreased during the 1990s.[10] Nevertheless, it still exists in localized areas. Furthermore, the drainage return causes pollution as it increased salinity from 130 mg/l to 250 mg/l.[10] In addition, the amount of nitrogen fertilizers has doubled in the period between 1980 and 1993.[10] These and other issues led to the depletion of the once flourishing aquaculture. Only 17 species remained in 1995 out of 47 in 1948. The government launched a national monitoring program with 300 observation sites in order collect information.[10] Furthermore, the government has plans to increase sanitation coverage and wastewater treatment in rural areas in order to eliminate significant pathogenic pollution by the year 2017.[10] The contamination of water resources has a direct impact on the general condition of the drinking water quality. Generally it is estimated that each year about 17000 children die from diarrhea diseases.[5] One reason is that water quality is often below standards.[5] This problem is caused by some treatment plants and the distribution system. Some of the treatment plants were facing problems which could have led to this water quality deterioration. The water in treatment plants is usually treated with high amounts of chlorine, which lead to the growth of fungi and to the increase of amounts of nitrogenous and phosphorus salts in the sewer. Furthermore, some treatment plants are inefficient in removing parasites, viruses and other parasitic microorganisms.[11] Nevertheless, the Egyptian government is doing efforts in improving water quality. The Integrated Sanitation and Sewerage Infrastructure Project of the National Organization of Potable Water and Sanitary Drainage has as one of its objectives to improve water qualities in some governorates like Beheira, Gharbia and Kafr El Sheikh in the Delta.[12
Posts: 11097 | From: Cairo | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thank you, folks, for sharing the info. The reason I asked was a severe poisoning my family went through recently and the source of this poisoning still remains a mystery to us . And btw, my Egyptian family believes that Siwa is the best among all brands. No clear explanation has been given. Since our poisoning crisis we’ve buying water in Carrefour believing that its suppliers should be more reliable than to some small glossary shops where you can get sealed but faked water.
Posts: 132 | From: Alex | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
It is an individual and personal preference plus our own physical tolerance to bacteria.
Sorry your family were ill... there was a stomach flu flying around Cairo at the start of March... even I fell foul to this and I have a cast iron gut.
Maybe it was generally just an illness.
Nobody I know gets ill from the water but reading the article I posted it maybe becasue the water here is distributed from a separate plant than other ares in Cairo... thus indicating illnesses could be district related.
Posts: 11097 | From: Cairo | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thank you CF, the article is enlightening indeed. We are now revising all our habits of cooking and cleaning. Water is just one of possible threads.
Posts: 132 | From: Alex | Registered: Oct 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Cairo has what is soon to be the largest waster water treatment in the world yet it is able to treat only 25% of Cairo's waste water. Most of the remaining 75 percent goes directly into the Nile.
Even if 100% was treated, the treatment does not remove certain chemicals like estrogens and other steroid hormones from birth-control pills and patches that end up in the Nile after being excreted in urine into the city's sewers. Antidepressants, painkillers, shampoos and everything we use end up in sewers and ultimately the Nile. Water treatment plant are not designed to treat for those kind of contaminates.
These problems are not unique to Cairo. Most of the worlds water resources have been contaminated in similar ways.
Don't drink tap water, filtered or not.
Posts: 1044 | Registered: Nov 2009
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
. Now I am learning that in fact the bottled water is nothing but filtered and chemically processed tab water! And there are so many titles in the market so that it is difficult to decide which one is reasonably good/safe.
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic