water

[john rogers]

We drank from fountains last year on the Camino Frances and had no issues nor did we hear of others with problems. Fountains that were unsuitable were clearly marked. 

I know that some of the other travellers were drinking bottled water exclusively. I would consider it a personal decision based on your own risk tolerance.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Howard Mendes 
  To: GOCAMINOapete.uri.edu 
  Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2004 6:58 AM
  Subject: Re: water


  In a message dated 03/24/04 05:15:27 AM Eastern Standard Time, claudietta67aHOTMAIL.COM writes:
    Some Italian friends of mine biked the Camino francès two years ago.
    They warned me not to drink water from fountains on the road. They did it
    and were sick for some days, with also slight fever.
    I don't know exactly which kind of fountain they took water from, but just
    to be sure, I avoided public fountains and always bought bottles of water.
  We had a long debate about this subject a couple of years ago.  I believe that the consensus was that it is safe to drink from the public fountains except those that are clearly marked not to drink from and my recollection is that they even had a skull and crossbones as a warning.  Most of the pilgrims I encountered drank from public fountains all of the time with no adverse affects.  In my opinion, bottled water in a plastic bottle that is on a shelf for an unknown period of time can be harboring bacterial growth more likely than running fresh water.  After all, from historical times, people in villages have been drinking this water.  I think that there are better uses for money than buying water.  Further, what convinces you or your Italian friends that it was the water that made them ill?  It reminds me of people who think that drafts give them colds.  Howard Mendes, NYC
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