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James Hetfield · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 99 Location: Los Angeles

Naturegirl obviously meant culture shock. Give her a break. Naturegirl and Guy have the best info on Latin America so don't *beep* on them! Laughing

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

notamiss · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 4:35 am Post subject:

http://www.yucatanliving.com/yucatan-survivor/mexican-fosa-septica.htm

This article blames it on traditional style septic tanks.

James Hetfield · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 99 Location: Los Angeles

Notamiss your article was SUPERB! Absolutely what I was hoping for when I started this thread: MANDATORY READING for American expats everywhere. Article refers to MEXICAN septic systems but really applies to ALL Latin America and much of world.

In Buenos Aires our hostel had a bidet that worked much better than I thought it would. I must conclude a bidet water fountain is far superior to paper. Problem solved! Now we just need to put bidets into every bathroom on earth. Cool

MO39 · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:46 pm Post subject:

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

That's what I was thinking. Every place I've lived in Mexico City had plumbing that couldn't handle paper. Any wad going in was always sure to block it up. I figured small pipes and low water pressure were to blame.

kingkristopher · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 62

Wasn't a problem in Caracas and it isn't a problem in Panama City either. It was a big problem in Quito however. I think it just depends on the city/country. Those with more modern infrastructures (i.e. Venezuela, Panama) don't have a problem. Others are stuck with 19th century plumbing though, there it's more of a problem.

Justin Trullinger · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 10:55 pm Post subject:

Try this. Put too much toilet paper in your US toilet. No, more than that. I mean a lot!

You can clog a toilet with too much paper most anywhere. For some reason, paper flushes less easily than *beep*.

In countries where things often work less well, the standard for what adds up to "too much paper" is lower. Doesn't mean that toilet paper will always clog the pot. But the chances are higher. So most places dispense with the problem by not flushing it...

The place where I work, in Ecuador but host to many foreigners, suffers from clogged toilets all the time as a result of all the people who flush the paper. Doesn't mean it clogs every time you flush paper, but...it increases the odds, you know. (Some months, the plumber makes more off this place than I do.)

I don't understand the polution argument, though. If I've already *beep*ed in the water, it doesn't seem to make it any less pure to add a piece of paper on top.

Best,
Justin

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

In other words, putting paper in the loo is always going to be a crap shoot? Wink

augrad · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 15

Thank you all so very much for the belly laughs!! I got a real kick out of this thread : )

There are several reasons for not flushing, with the main one being that we treat our water differently here than in Latin America. Sewer Plants are set up to handle this in the US and it is very expensive. We use screens to separate the solids in our treatment plants, then they have to use chemicals to break that down. What I mean by solids is toilet paper, condoms, tampons, etc., but not poop as that is water soluble.

Here is a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewage_treatment

augrad · Joined: 09 Jun 2008 Posts: 15

I forgot to mention that in Argentina, you can flush the TP!! They also treat their water and you can drink from the tap. They are not a developing country.