Water

From Alhannah

Tap water is potable, but is desalinated from ocean water, so may not taste good to all expats. It can also be a slight problem for those on low-sodium diets. Many expats filter and/or purchase bottled water, which is cheap and plentiful. For about QR400 you can buy a water dispenser that cools and heats water; it holds 5 gallon bottles of water that are delivered to your homes weekly. The companies will charge a deposit for the bottles, and sell you a book of coupons. Water is delivered once a week and you use the coupons to exchange empty bottles for full ones. It is a good idea to always have some 1.5 liter bottles of water in a cupboard in your house, and to carry some in your car.

A unique thing about Doha is there is abundant hot water in the summer as most houses have cisterns on the roof that are heated by the sun, but no cold water. If you need to do laundry with cold water you may need to fill a tub or bucket with water the night before and wait for it to cool before washing. Some people shut off their hot water tanks in the summer and use the water from that tank (if it is in an indoor closet) as the cold water supply.

Water delivery companies:

• Sabeel – phone # 460-6981 or 460-6980 - Coupon books are 12 for QR90 ($25), or 25 for QR180 ($50), QR15 deposit on bottles, QR450 for the dispenser (purchase only, but they will bring). One year guarantee on cooler.
• Almanhal - phone# 460-3332 - coupons are 30 for QR195 (~$54), 70 for QR420 (~$116). QR20 deposit on bottles. QR550 deposit on dispenser, refundable less 25% depreciation per year.
• Alwajba - phone# 443-6999 – coupons are 12 for QR100 (~$28), 25 for QR200 (~$55). QR15 deposit on bottles. Dispenser must purchased separately.

Don't forget to read the labels! Al-Rayyan Pure Natural Mineral Water has 9 mg/litre of sodium, Sabeel at 8.7 mg/l. Most bottled water in MegaMart are up around 24 mg/l. Read the labels before you buy! Too much sodium in your diet can lead to health problems.