Hi Richard –
My wife and I have lived in Salinas for 3+ years, and i DO NOT recommend drinking the water. Some building have their own filtration systems, but still we prefer to buy bottled water. You can get 6-liter jugs for just over $1, or big 10-liter containers (like for water coolers) for between $1-$1.50
We do use tap water for cooking when we are going to be boiling for a while, but if I’m making soups, I still use bottled water (for the taste).
Feel free to ask me any other questions either in the forum, or at salinas@internationalliving.com
-jim