Is it safe to drink the water in Boquete, Panama?
Paul McBride - Inside Panama Real Estate
The answer to the question of is it safe to drink the water in Boquete depends a lot on where you're getting your water. Most developed communities have systems that treat the water (basic chlorination) so it's safe to drink. Other areas do not have treated water so it's best not to drink the water unless it has been treated or purified.
My rule of thumb is to not drink tap water from any restaurants or public places in Boquete....
The answer to the question of is it safe to drink the water in Boquete depends a lot on where you're getting your water. Most developed communities have systems that treat the water (basic chlorination) so it's safe to drink. Other areas do not have treated water so it's best not to drink the water unless it has been treated or purified.
My rule of thumb is to not drink tap water from any restaurants or public places in Boquete. This is my personal safety precaution and others have been drinking the water for years without any negative side affects. All I can say is that in 15 years of living and traveling in Panama I have never had a problem by following this rule. Most other people I know who have lived here that long have had stomach ailments as a result of tainted water.
Often, it's not the actual water source that's the problem. The problem usually results during maintenance as dirt and other contaminants get into the system when there's a repair. Since you never know when this is going to happen, it's safer to drink bottled water when in public places.
When you know the source of your water and you control the maintenance of the system, then contamination is usually not a problem.
Posted June 27, 2013
Robert Reichert - Cuesta del Sol Condominiums
Shortly after arriving in David, Panama, where I decided to settle down, I had the occasion to send a few nights in a hotel in Panama City. On the mirror in the bathroom was a little sign that read, "Panama has the purest water in the world, open the tap, drink and enjoy it."
I have been in Panama for 10 years now and find this to be true regardless of where you happen to be in the country. Even in the most remote areas, like at the tip of Punta Burica,...
Shortly after arriving in David, Panama, where I decided to settle down, I had the occasion to send a few nights in a hotel in Panama City. On the mirror in the bathroom was a little sign that read, "Panama has the purest water in the world, open the tap, drink and enjoy it."
I have been in Panama for 10 years now and find this to be true regardless of where you happen to be in the country. Even in the most remote areas, like at the tip of Punta Burica, you will find water pipes providing potable and very drinkable water.
Posted July 17, 2013
Linda Jensen
When Arne and I moved to Boquete, we drank the water right out of the tap and had no ill effects. We drink the water now in restaurants and other places, also with no ill effects. We make coffee with our water in Boquete every day but now I boil it (because I was told to, not because of any problems).
The water here is so clear and so pure that you cannot see any residue in any teapot or other items. You can boil water every day and you won’t see any...
The water here is so clear and so pure that you cannot see any residue in any teapot or other items. You can boil water every day and you won’t see any...
When Arne and I moved to Boquete, we drank the water right out of the tap and had no ill effects. We drink the water now in restaurants and other places, also with no ill effects. We make coffee with our water in Boquete every day but now I boil it (because I was told to, not because of any problems).
The water here is so clear and so pure that you cannot see any residue in any teapot or other items. You can boil water every day and you won’t see any build-up.
The water here is so clear and so pure that you cannot see any residue in any teapot or other items. You can boil water every day and you won’t see any build-up.
Posted July 25, 2014
Lissy Lezcano - Lissy Lezcano Attorney & Mediator
It is not safe to drink the water in Boquete if you are not used to it because it is not filtered. Personally, I do not drink water in Boquete because I could get sick, since I am not used to the water there.
If you have a water filter in your house, then yes, you can drink the water from the taps in Boquete. Restaurants in Boquete use ice...
It is not safe to drink the water in Boquete if you are not used to it because it is not filtered. Personally, I do not drink water in Boquete because I could get sick, since I am not used to the water there.
If you have a water filter in your house, then yes, you can drink the water from the taps in Boquete. Restaurants in Boquete use ice that comes from David (the closest larger city), so it is safe.
You can use the water in Boquete for washing vegetables, cleaning, washing clothes, and other activities like that but it is not advisable to drink the water there directly unless you have a filter.
(Pictured: stream in Boquete.)
Posted June 22, 2015
Alberto Socarraz - Panama Vida
Yes, it’s safe to drink water in Boquete. The safest water in the whole country of Panama is in the Chiriquí Province where Boquete is located. 95% of the water here in Boquete comes out of fresh water springs from the mountains. It is then filtered, cleaned up through an aqueduct system, and then gets to the end user. The water here in Boquete is constantly tested because we are a big agriculture area so there's always a concern with maybe...
Yes, it’s safe to drink water in Boquete. The safest water in the whole country of Panama is in the Chiriquí Province where Boquete is located. 95% of the water here in Boquete comes out of fresh water springs from the mountains. It is then filtered, cleaned up through an aqueduct system, and then gets to the end user. The water here in Boquete is constantly tested because we are a big agriculture area so there's always a concern with maybe chemicals getting in the water or some type of pollutant in the water. Every three months, they test the water and every three months, it comes out perfect.
I have no concerns drinking the water right from the tap here in Boquete. I have always been a big drinker of the tap water here, and I never had any issues whatsoever. But again I am only talking about water here in Chiriquí. If you go to Bocas Del Toro, it's a different story.
(Farm and river located in Cochea Abajo, Chiriquí, Panama, pictured.)
Posted August 28, 2015
Giselle Leignadier - Hacienda Los Molinos
Yes, it is safe to drink the water in Boquete. You have to take into account that the water in Boquete comes from natural springs.The natural springs sometimes, especially on the rainy season, have more sediment, and from time to time, people who are not used to drinking the water from the springs need to use water filters. However, the locals or the people who have lived in Boquete for a long time do not need water filters because they are used to drinking the water coming...
Yes, it is safe to drink the water in Boquete. You have to take into account that the water in Boquete comes from natural springs.The natural springs sometimes, especially on the rainy season, have more sediment, and from time to time, people who are not used to drinking the water from the springs need to use water filters. However, the locals or the people who have lived in Boquete for a long time do not need water filters because they are used to drinking the water coming from the springs.
(Caldera River, Chiriqui, Panama, pictured.)
Posted October 21, 2015
Manzar Lari - Casa de Montaña
It is safe to drink the water in Boquete, although, at our BnB we have another UV filter that filters the water further. Part of the reason we do that is because recent arrivals are not used to certain levels of bacteria in the water so their stomachs might feel upset. Otherwise, it’s pretty safe to drink the water.
Personally, I feel safe drinking the tap water and iced water. I order both all the time at the restaurants in town. I have never encountered any...
Personally, I feel safe drinking the tap water and iced water. I order both all the time at the restaurants in town. I have never encountered any...
It is safe to drink the water in Boquete, although, at our BnB we have another UV filter that filters the water further. Part of the reason we do that is because recent arrivals are not used to certain levels of bacteria in the water so their stomachs might feel upset. Otherwise, it’s pretty safe to drink the water.
Personally, I feel safe drinking the tap water and iced water. I order both all the time at the restaurants in town. I have never encountered any problems with the ice in the restaurants.
We’ve been here for two and a half years and, knock on wood, I have not actually been sick at all since we moved here.
Personally, I feel safe drinking the tap water and iced water. I order both all the time at the restaurants in town. I have never encountered any problems with the ice in the restaurants.
We’ve been here for two and a half years and, knock on wood, I have not actually been sick at all since we moved here.
Posted March 19, 2016
Diana Pasley
I agree, for the most part that the water in Boquete is safe and really wonderful. However, our first year here we rented a home for a year. Almost immediately I realized the water was not clean. But our landlords were reluctant to do anything about that. One day, when I turned on the tap, mud came out of the faucet. After this our landlords installed a filtering system. Apparently, they were still not linked to the water system of Boquete and were...I agree, for the most part that the water in Boquete is safe and really wonderful. However, our first year here we rented a home for a year. Almost immediately I realized the water was not clean. But our landlords were reluctant to do anything about that. One day, when I turned on the tap, mud came out of the faucet. After this our landlords installed a filtering system. Apparently, they were still not linked to the water system of Boquete and were getting "agricultural water". We never got sick from it, but it wasn't pleasant. We have had no problems with water since we have been in our own home. I think that by now most homes are linked to the water system of Boquete. (Caldera River, Boquete, Panama, pictured.)
Posted April 3, 2017