Water

[chefwannab]

I am looking into getting a water filter to hook up to my sink in the dorm (GA). Any suggestions? How long do filters last? Any avail. on the island? I was also looking into buying a car. Checked the vmd classifieds and didn't see much.

[stephew]

i just drake the water no filter, this back in the 1990's I lived to tell the tale. so did we all.

[stephew]

and i should add you'll be having unfiltered water in salads and other food ect. just jump in and get your bowel used to the flora is the best thing.

[jaywalk81]

the car ads will all be on sgupost which you can access under mysgu

[devalier]

i used the pur on sink filter in grenada. i wasn't worried about bugs. just about the other things in the water. the filters only lasted about 3-4 weeks before becoming maximally clogged which according to the company means that there is a lot of junk in the water. if you drink a lot of water it's still a better deal than buying bottled water.

[AngryBaby]

I've read from the GND tourism website that the tap water is safe to drink. Despite that we brought a Brita pitcher anyway, though we used one in the US beforehand as well. Our landlord buys his family jugs of water by the carload it seems.

[AngryBaby]

Speaking of water, I made it through the entire 1st term and I'm still confused about how water works on the island. There's obviously underground plumbing (yes??) so is this where the tap water comes from? What about the hot water, because that runs cold sometimes and other times the hot water will stop running but the cold water continues unabated. I understand our water is heated via solar power but why does it run out sometimes? Also what, then, are the water jug/reservoirs outside of the houses?

What's the deal with that? I would've asked our landlord last term but I thought I had it figured out, only to find out about 2 weeks before the end of the term that I didn't have it figured out after all and sometimes I don't see our guy for weeks at a time.

Someone please help me!! I've got to figure this out. I'm so ashamed by my ignorance...

[chefwannab]

I drink over a gallon /day so carrying that much water just doesn't make sense. I was concerned with giardia and other bacteria. But if no one else is worried...forget it.

[badkitty13]

I've drunk the tap water on campus and eaten at restaurants, and I try not to get too paranoid about things over which I have no control, but when it comes to the water in my kitchen I use a Brita pitcher. I have also had a Pur on the sink, but as stated above, the junk in the water clogs it up within 3 weeks. I would highly recommend bringing a filter, or several if you can, to at least have relatively clean water in your home.

[chefwannab]

I have had both the pitchers and the attachments to the sink, but never felt like they were doing much? I will bring one for the sink with a bunch of refills. I know that they have different "levels" they sell. I suppose any will work (some were like 20/refill). I give my dog normal tap water here in the states, but plan to give him filtered when I get there. Yes, I am one of those "nutty" types.

[jaywalk81]

the big black water jug is the reserved water for the dry season (spring term)

[ModernDayGilligan]

SGU has its own desalination plants producing fresh water at both the Grand Anse and True Blue campuses. Sometimes they'll truck water from one campus to the other when the demand for water is greater than what the desalination plants can keep up with. SGU also has massive water storage facilities to use in case of a catastrophe.

Off campus, all water is pipe borne through a municipal-like water provider. It's not uncommon for the pipe to be dry from time to time in the Dry Season, but a large chunk of homeowners have reserve water tanks (big, black plastic tanks) and will use electric pumps to move the water. The water pipes are often exposed and visible on the side of the road.

In the dorms, hot water is heated via solar panels on the roof and stored in tanks nearby. Once the hot water tanks are empty you can expect a chilly shower. :-)

Off campus hot water is produced by solar panels as well, but some residences use an electric heating element at the end of the pipe in their showers - producing hot water on demand. This is (http://www.allproducts.com/manufacture98/lorenzetti/product1.html) what I have in my shower (the shower head is also the water heater).

[AngryBaby]

Thanks guys. This is close to what I thought after all. Appreciate the help