United States
Drinkable
US municipal tap water meets WHO drinking-water standards across all major cities. Filtered-fridge water is common but unnecessary. Exceptions: Flint, Michigan and specific lead-pipe areas have had historical issues; check local news for any active advisories.
Canada
Drinkable
Uniformly excellent municipal water across all major cities. Remote First Nations communities have chronic water-advisory issues that the federal government has been slow to resolve; tourists rarely reach these areas.
United Kingdom
Drinkable
Uniformly safe. London's water is noticeably hard; other regions vary. Tap water served free at restaurants on request.
Ireland
Drinkable
Safe nationwide. Occasional 'boil water' advisories in smaller areas; check local media if staying in rural Ireland.
Germany
Drinkable
Among the world's strictest water regulations. Safe and chalky (high mineral content). Be aware that many German restaurants charge for tap water (€1-2).
France
Drinkable
Safe. French tap water has slightly elevated chlorine taste in some cities; bottled water is the restaurant default ('une carafe' for free tap water, which is your legal right).
Netherlands
Drinkable
Among the world's best tap water. Safe without any treatment. Bottled water purchases are slightly declining as a matter of domestic environmental policy.
Switzerland
Drinkable
Famously excellent. Swiss public fountains are all drinkable unless marked otherwise ('Kein Trinkwasser' means not drinking water). Often colder than home tap water.
Austria
Drinkable
Vienna tap water comes directly from Alpine springs — genuinely excellent. Other cities equally safe.
Italy
Drinkable
Safe in all major cities. Romans famously drink from the nasoni (city water fountains) with confidence. Older buildings may have lead-pipe legacy issues; running the tap 30 seconds before drinking is reasonable.
Spain
Drinkable
Safe in all major cities. Barcelona water has a heavy mineral taste that many visitors find unpleasant (use bottled if you want better flavour); Madrid and Bilbao are softer. Coastal towns can have more variable quality.
Portugal
Drinkable
Safe. Lisbon and Porto municipal water meets EU standards. Water tastes variable depending on reservoir source.
Greece
Athens: yes · Islands: treat
Athens: safe. Thessaloniki: safe. Greek islands: variable — Santorini desalinated water is safe but tastes of iodine; Mykonos similar. Smaller islands (Paros, Ios, Milos) vary. Bottled water is the safe default on islands.
Iceland
Drinkable (exceptionally)
Iceland's tap water is among the world's best — direct glacial melt, minimally processed. Reykjavik hot water smells of sulfur (from geothermal heating); cold water is pristine. Don't buy bottled water in Iceland; it's the same water at 100x the price.
Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland
Drinkable
All Nordic countries have excellent tap water meeting WHO/EU standards. No treatment needed anywhere.
Czechia, Poland, Hungary
Drinkable in major cities
Prague, Kraków, Warsaw, Budapest — all safe. Rural areas can have older infrastructure; bottled water there if uncertain.
Croatia, Slovenia
Drinkable
Both countries uniformly safe. Slovenian tap water is particularly praised.
Russia (Moscow/St. Petersburg)
Not recommended
Russian municipal water is generally treated but infrastructure age means residents and long-term travellers use filters. Short-term visitors should use bottled water to avoid any stomach upset.
Turkey
Istanbul: treat or bottled · elsewhere treat
Istanbul tap water is treated but visitors commonly experience stomach upset. Rural Turkey: treat or bottled. Use bottled water for drinking and teeth-brushing.
Japan
Drinkable
Japanese tap water is among the world's safest and most consistently tested. All Japanese cities and rural areas are safe. Sometimes slightly chlorinated-tasting in Tokyo.
South Korea
Drinkable (officially); most locals filter
Seoul municipal water meets WHO standards and is officially safe. However, most Korean households use filters, and tap water is not the default drinking source. Visitors can drink it but most prefer bottled or hotel-filtered water.
China
Not recommended
Do not drink Chinese tap water anywhere. Even in major cities, bottled water is the norm, including for teeth-brushing in some visitor recommendations. Hotels provide complimentary bottled water; restaurants serve boiled or bottled.
Hong Kong
Drinkable (officially)
HK tap water meets WHO standards but tests show variable quality at building-pipe level. Most residents use filters. Short-term visitors typically bottled water. Brushing teeth fine.
Singapore
Drinkable
Singapore's water is exceptional — NEWater (recycled drinking water from wastewater) is world-famous for its quality. Safe throughout.
Thailand
Not recommended
Bangkok municipal water is treated but high mineral content and questionable pipe quality make it unsafe for tourists. Use bottled water for drinking. Teeth-brushing generally fine for short stays.
Vietnam
Not recommended
Neither Hanoi nor HCMC tap water is safe for tourists. Use bottled water for drinking and teeth-brushing. Ice at reputable restaurants is made from treated water; street-food ice can be variable.
Indonesia
Not recommended
Bali and Jakarta tap water: not safe. Use bottled water (widely available) throughout. Teeth-brushing: bottled water recommended for first few days to let your system adjust.
Malaysia
Mostly drinkable (KL); bottled elsewhere
Kuala Lumpur tap water meets Malaysian standards but most residents use filters; bottled water recommended for short-term visitors. Elsewhere: bottled water.
Philippines
Not recommended
Manila tap water has had infrastructure issues; use bottled. Cebu similar. Many hotel taps are pre-filtered — look for 'safe to drink' labels.
India
Not recommended
Never drink tap water in India. Use bottled water (check for intact seal) or boiled. Teeth-brushing with bottled water is the safest first-time-India practice. Hotels uniformly provide safe drinking water.
Sri Lanka
Not recommended
Colombo municipal water is treated but tourists should use bottled. Rural water: bottled or boiled. Tea and coffee served in restaurants is safe.
Nepal
Not recommended
Kathmandu tap water is not safe. Even filtered/bottled water from unreliable sources should be avoided — use major-brand bottles with intact seals (Himalaya, Aquafina). Trekking lodges often provide boiled water.
UAE
Drinkable (desalinated)
UAE municipal water is desalinated and meets WHO standards. Safe to drink but the taste is heavily salted for some palates. Bottled water is standard practice locally.
Egypt
Not recommended
Cairo tap water: do not drink, do not brush teeth with it. Use bottled water. Hotel water filters are sometimes OK but variable. Nile cruise boats use treated water but confirm at check-in.
Morocco
Not recommended
Moroccan tap water varies too much in quality and chlorine content to be recommended for tourists. Bottled water is cheap (5-10 MAD) and universally available. Teeth-brushing with bottled water is the safest approach.
Mexico
Not recommended
Mexico City and resort towns: do not drink tap water. Bottled water is cheap and ubiquitous. Hotels and resorts provide free bottles daily. Teeth-brushing: bottled water recommended first few days.
Argentina
Drinkable in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires tap water meets WHO standards and is safe. Rural Argentina: bottled. Tap water is rarely served at restaurants — mineral water (with or without gas) is the default.
Brazil
Not recommended
Rio, São Paulo, and major cities: officially treated but most residents use home filters. Tourists should use bottled. Street food and restaurant ice: confirm 'agua tratada' (treated water).
Peru
Not recommended
Lima and Cusco tap water: not safe. Bottled water throughout. Altitude-sickness prevention sometimes recommends bottled water over dehydration-inducing tap alternatives regardless.
Chile
Drinkable in major cities
Santiago and Valparaíso tap water meets WHO standards. Rural areas: bottled. Patagonian lodges usually have spring-water that's safer than urban tap.
Colombia
Bogotá drinkable; bottled elsewhere
Bogotá has genuinely excellent water — high-altitude, mountain-sourced. Medellín and Cartagena also safe but most locals filter. Rural: bottled.
Costa Rica
Drinkable
Costa Rican tap water is uniformly safe — tested regularly, high mountain-source quality. Can be drunk in San José, Monteverde, and the Pacific coast resort areas.
Australia
Drinkable
Tap water across Australia is safe and tests excellent. Outback rural areas: ask locals; bore water may not be suitable for drinking.
New Zealand
Drinkable
Safe throughout. Christchurch and Wellington water is especially praised. Rural water is often from rainwater tanks; usually safe but ask owners.
South Africa
Drinkable in major cities
Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban tap water is safe (Cape Town notably recovered from 'Day Zero' 2018 drought). Rural South Africa: often fine but variable; bottled when uncertain.
Kenya / Tanzania
Not recommended
Use bottled water throughout. Nairobi and Dar es Salaam municipal water: not recommended for tourists. Safari camps: water is boiled or bottled — confirm at check-in.
