Can you drink the tap water?
Can you drink the tap water?
Traveller's diarrhoea ruins more holidays than almost anything else, and dodgy water is a big part of it. But plenty of travellers buy bottled water they don't need, in countries where the tap water is as good as at home.
Search any country to see what our map says about its tap water, or read on for how to stay well where it isn't safe.
The three groups
Our tap water filter puts each country into one of three groups.
Treated to a high standard across the country. Drink it, brush your teeth with it, have ice in your drinks.
Usually safe in cities and big resorts. Drink bottled water in rural areas, or if unsure.
Don't drink the tap water. Use bottled, filtered or boiled water, and be wary of ice and washed salads.
Tap water around the world
- Safe from the tap
Western and northern Europe, the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Some islands taste salty from desalination, but it's safe.
- Safe in places
Türkiye, parts of the Balkans, South Africa, Chile and Malaysia. Usually fine in cities, but locals often drink bottled and old pipes can be the problem.
Read the guide → - Drink bottled
Most of Africa, South and South-East Asia, Central America and much of South America. Don't drink it, and watch the ice.
What's safe to eat and drink
Usually fine
- Sealed bottled water, with the cap clicking as you open it
- Hot tea and coffee made with boiled water
- Canned and bottled drinks, wiped before drinking from them
- Fruit you peel yourself, like bananas and oranges
- Food served piping hot
Be careful with
- Ice, unless it's the tube-shaped factory kind
- Salads and herbs washed in tap water
- Fresh juices and smoothies topped up with water or ice
- Brushing your teeth with tap water
- Swallowing water in the shower or a pool
Staying well where you can't drink the tap
- 1Choose a filter bottle
A bottle with a purifier (not just a filter) makes tap water safe and cuts plastic.
- 2Check the cap
Sealed bottles only. Refilled bottles are sold in some markets.
- 3Ask for drinks without ice
'Sin hielo', 'sans glaçons', 'mai sai nam khaeng'. Or check the ice is factory-made.
- 4Pack rehydration sachets
Oral rehydration salts and loperamide, in case your stomach objects anyway.
- 5Know when to get help
See a doctor for blood in stools, a high fever, or symptoms lasting more than 3 days.
Tap water guides by destination
Popular places where the answer isn't simply yes or no, or where people get caught out.
Don't drink it, even in resorts. Most hotels supply purified water, and ice in tourist areas is usually purified.
Read the guide →Not safe for visitors. Stomach bugs are the most common holiday illness here.
Read the guide →Drink bottled or filtered water. Check bottle seals, and choose busy street food stalls.
Read the guide →Don't drink from the tap, but ice is factory-made and water refill machines are cheap.
Read the guide →City water is treated, but visitors' stomachs often disagree. Bottled is cheap everywhere.
Read the guide →Treated and officially safe in cities, but old pipes and chlorine taste mean almost everyone drinks bottled.
Read the guide →Not safe to drink. Refill stations, purified ice and care with raw food keep Bali belly away.
Read the guide →Safe everywhere. On the islands, desalinated water tastes salty, so many prefer bottled.
Read the guide →Desalinated and safe at source, though building tanks mean most people drink bottled.
Read the guide →Before you go
- Search your destination above to see whether the tap water is safe.
- Pack a purifier bottle or purification tablets for trips off the beaten track.
- Bring oral rehydration sachets and anti-diarrhoea tablets.
- Check TravelHealthPro for vaccines, such as typhoid and hepatitis A, linked to food and water.
- Pack hand sanitiser for before meals.