World Map for Safe Drinking Water

In a world of bottled water, the last thing you want is to get sick from drinking tap water as a traveller. But of course, not all countries have reliable sanitation standards and even if they do, some tap water may contain naturally occurring chemicals or heavy metals that will leave you feeling awful. So where can you drink from a tap? Below you can find a map created by Kind Water that outlines every country and how safe its tap water is for consumption. 

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Are you a student, or a keen traveller in seeing the hidden gems of our planet? Below we have discussed the top 5 countries that are visited by seasoned travellers according to the members of the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) – especially by gap year students. We have discussed in more depth the sanitary and water treatment regulations of each country suggesting the safe and unsafe places to drink tap water:

1. Thailand – Unsafe

Thailand attracts sixteen million foreign visitors each year, so it’s not surprising it’s a popular gap year destination. It’s a really special place. Whether it’s the idyllic beaches or epic parties of Thailand’s tropical paradise islands to Bangkok’s buzzing capital, Thailand is full of surprises, but safe drinking water is not one of them. 

Is tap water safe in Thailand? Yes and No. The country has undergone wide-ranging reforms in the last decade to their municipal water supply system and has become a world leader at ensuring and proactively trying to make their tap water safe all over the nation. However, if you’re travelling to rural areas away from the major cities you should always be sure that your bottled or filtered water is safe or drink bottled beverages.

H2: 2. Australia – Safe

Wondering what it’s like to spend Christmas on the beach? In Australia, you can discover the second most famous country for gap year students. Australia is an immense mass north of 7,000,000 square kilometres, so it normally has a whole year of amusement. So, is tap water in Australia safe? Yes, tap water in Australia is safe to drink, and it’s just as clean as bottled water. In fact, the Australian tap water system is among the best in the world. It has been recognised by global organisations such as the World Health Organization and Food Standards Agency.

Australia’s tap water system is made up of a series of reservoirs, dams and pipelines that transport fresh water from catchments to treatment plants or direct to your home.

H2: 3. USA – Safe

Regular water is for the most part protected in the United States. There are a couple of exemptions, but generally, regular water is just as perfect and sound as filtered water. Due to the sheer scale of The United States as a whole, it’s important to be aware that in the more rural areas of the states water can be questionable to drink from a tap.

Regular water commonly comes from an underground repository and afterwards goes through a progression of lines to a structure, where it very well may be separated or treated with synthetic substances before you use it for cooking or drinking. In certain parts of the nation, faucet water might venture out from this mainline to a neighbourhood treatment plant first.

H2: India – Unsafe 

The main takeaway from this article should be that tap water in India is not drinkable. Ever.

It is possible to drink water that has been filtered or purified in some establishments throughout India. Still, bottled water is always your best bet – but make sure that you always inspect the seal. When brushing your teeth, avoid using tap water and refrain from drinking the water while taking a shower. While you’re washing away the dirt from your day, keep your mouth shut.

Even salads that have been rinsed and have water on them, along with drinks that have ice cubes, should be avoided. If you are in doubt of the hygiene level of either of these products do not take the risk of consuming them whether it be the salad or a simple ice cube.

Put simply the water treatment infrastructure is incredibly underfinanced and so we recommend you are extremely vigilant in every circumstance when it comes to water.

H2: Chile – Safe

Let’s address the elephant in the room. More than 95% of countries that have safe water are westernized, ranging from Canada, the USA, the UK, Europe etc. However, Chile is one of the few poorer countries that have relatively safe tap water. Local Chileans tend to drink from the faucet because tap water is generally very safe. It’s important to keep in mind as a traveller, however, that it can take some time to adjust to the water in Chile. 

Since all water companies are privately owned here, you won’t find any dangerous contaminants, but the government does have guidelines for standards and sanitation procedures. All tap water is chlorinated and fluoridated to prevent contamination by organic/microbial/bacterial matter.

If you are either a seasoned traveller or going on holiday for a week it’s important you do your research on the drinking water in the country you are visiting. Please use our map as a guideline and indication of the level of research you do. It’s important to be aware that many locals can drink their own local tap water due to their society adapting to it, however for a traveller passing through they could potentially fall horribly sick.