Do you drink the tap water in other developed countries? (camping, village)
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I've drank the tap water in the US, most Western European countries (except Italy), Hungary, and Hong Kong. The last 2 were a bit risky and I got a little sick from drinking the tap in Hong Kong (but not in Hungary.)
I also might have gotten sick from the tap in Switzerland and Germany in the beginning of my trip there but had no problem after being acclimated to the local bacteria after a while.
What's your experience with the tap water in other developed countries? (I would never drink the water in developing countries like Mexico, Russia, China, Brazil, etc.) It seems even if locals find the water safe, you might still get sick due to the different bacteria present.
Back in the day I used to drink tap water in Moscow with no problems ( don't know about now.)
But in certain places in Midwest I wouldn't touch tap water at all. It has horrid taste and I see some greyish powder left in pots after water has been boiled in them.
Didn't see anything like that in other places though.
I've worked in about a dozen different countries and gone by the rule of no tap water outside of the USA & Canada. After living in Seoul for awhile, I decided to try the tap water and got a bit sick....then tried it again a few months later and felt nauseous. So I stopped trying the tap water anywhere outside of the U.S. & Canada. I'm sure there are plenty of European countries that it's fine.
We always use tap water in Bishkek, there is no danger to drink it, this water is extracting from artesian springs and contains mineral substances (but you need to boil it before use).
If you have wish and money you can buy bottled distilled water, but in Bishkek it doesn't matter if you drink tap water or bottled.
Well I did in America, Canada and France but not Spain and Italy.
I don't trust Spain.
Give it a try in Spain. I've been there many time and always drink the tap water, and I've never had a problem. As in any country, though, there are probably some municipalities that do not have excellent water purification systems.
I drink tapwater in UNdeveloped countries, mostly. Some I don't, but just about everywhere in Latin America. Everywhere in Mexico, the tapwater is good. I think everywhere in Southeast Asia, too, as I recall. There are a few places where I do not, in low-lying jungle areas that have a lot of flooding. It is safe to drink water right out of the Amazon River.
I got sick a few times, but very likely not from the tapwater, bur from improperly handled food or maybe even doorknobs.
Most undeveloped countries where people drink bottled water, the reason is heavy metals and other chemicals, not pathogens. But you'd have to drink it all your life in order to build up enough of those impurities to have any health effects. So most Mexicans drink bottled water. But a temporary visitor doesn't need to worry about the impurities in the water.
Agreed. I don't go out of my way to drink tap water but have done it in quite a few countries in Latin America and SE Asia and have never gotten sick from it. I did get a really bad case of food/water (not sure what it was) poisoning in Cambodia once - but that was a while ago and the infrastructure is much improved in the country now.
Tap water here is just gross. Don't ever drink it.
Not drinking tap water has become a habit of mine so I don't really drink it in other developed countries either. Not in France, Germany, or Spain.
I've drunk some in Japan though, as their hygiene is, well, impeccable.
Can anyone tell me why there are a couple of topics about tapwater? What is the buzz about it? Here in the Netherlands the tapwater is bottled quality. German, Belgium water, I drink it. While in the US it sometimes tastes like bleach.
I live under Alps, so I can drink probably one of the best tap water in the world.
Usually I drink tap water abroad, I refrained from doing it in Ecuador though for safety.
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