Historical pictures of Buenos Aires

There are 55 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 13,673 times. The latest Post () was by UK Man.

    Quote from Rice

    Very imposing, colorful building. Black & White picture can’t do it Justice, but the color photos show how vividly it stands out.

    That building was only a huge tank of water, but in those times you cannot put a mere useful thing without the proper dressing inside the city, Therefore they decided to show a Palace.

    The building was made with special ceramic and glass imported from England, and the architects were norwegians or swedes, No pieces of the building were made in Argentina, excepted the bricks of the foundations, that does not appear visible.

    Buenos Aires had a service of edible fresh water since 1885. I am surprised why many tourists ask if they can drink the water from the tap. We are underdeveloped, but not at that degree.

    Don’t be offended, Carlos ! Travelers are warned against drinking tap water in ANY country other than one’s own, not out of a feeling that the home country’s water is superior, but because there can be effects from drinking any water with bacteria that are different from the bacteria our bodies are accustomed to.


    There are Central American workers on the construction team doing work on our place in New Orleans. They bring bottled water with them rather than drinking the tap water, which we routinely drink.

    Quote from Rice

    Don’t be offended, Carlos ! Travelers are warned against drinking tap water in ANY country other than one’s own, not out of a feeling that the home country’s water is superior, but because there can be effects from drinking any water with bacteria that are different from the bacteria our bodies are accustomed to.


    There are Central American workers on the construction team doing work on our place in New Orleans. They bring bottled water with them rather than drinking the tap water, which we routinely drink.

    Thanks for the explanation. In my own experience, I drank water from the tap in every part of the world where I visited and nothing happened to me. (only Europe and the USA, to tell the truth). Never imagined that this was a reason.

    My wife told me never to drink the tap water here. Must admit I rarely drink water anyway even in summer but when I do it's bottled water only. I actually think the tap water is okay but the missus insists we don't even use it for hot drinks. We had a pump installed in the garden that pumps water up from many metres below ground. We fill containers and use that water for boiling. All a bit OTT if you ask me but when in Argentina I just do as I'm told!!

    I had a job many years ago and visited many times the water supply installations in Palermo (close to the Aeroparque). I was selling water analyisis systems (Hach company of the USA) and I could see the high standards of quality that they use still now. For example, they had a living trout inside a transparent box, plenty of water. If the living trout was behaving in a weird way, that was the most important quality of the decrease ot water quality. Of course they have other water quality meters.

    In reality, BA has a great advantage. The huge quantity of fresh water of the Rio de la Plata brings us soft water, not with many minerals dissolved. Only mud. That is the reason of the several pools that are there in the outside. By percolation and coagulation, the mud goes down and many other filters ensure a very low level of turbidity. (that I sold to them as well.

    The problem highltighed by UK man could be possible if his house in not attached to the network of the city of BA and surroundings. In that case, the quality f the water is not guaranteed.

    Quote from Carlos

    The problem highltighed by UK man could be possible if his house in not attached to the network of the city of BA and surroundings. In that case, the quality f the water is not guaranteed.

    Pretty sure even though we're about 175km away we get our water from BA...could be wrong though. Not sure what happens to it along the way.

    Quote from UK Man

    I actually think the tap water is okay but the missus insists we don't even use it for hot drinks. We had a pump installed in the garden that pumps water up from many metres below ground. We fill containers and use that water for boiling.

    UK Man , this water that you pump from the ground - - I assume you don’t just use it to water the garden, since you boil it - - this is what your wife insists that you not drink? I’m with Mrs UK Man! Untreated water could contain any number of parasites as well as bacteria and chemicals that have seeped into the water table.


    Beer and wine are much better choices!


    Treated water is a completely different thing. Thanks for your background information on BsAs’s water source and treatment plants, Carlos .

    Quote from Rice

    UK Man , this water that you pump from the ground - - I assume you don’t just use it to water the garden, since you boil it - - this is what your wife insists that you not drink? I’m with Mrs UK Man! Untreated water could contain any number of parasites as well as bacteria and chemicals that have seeped into the water table.


    Beer and wine are much better choices!

    Yes it's what we boil to make hot drinks as the missus says the tap water has too much chlorine in it. I think it's a complete waste of time myself as I'm not confident it's any healthier even without chlorine. In fact I'd say if anything, it probably contains more harmfull substances like run off from the fertilised fields. She did send a sample to be tested but that was years ago.