QUESTION: Food and water safety: what water is safe to drink?

Ensuring the safety of drinking water while traveling is one of the key conditions for maintaining health and comfort during a trip to an unfamiliar region or another country. To avoid severe intestinal infections and poisoning, it is essential to plan this aspect carefully even before departure, taking into account the specifics of your destination. Start by drafting a preliminary plan: research information about the quality of tap water at your destination, budget for the purchase of bottled water, and prioritize what is mandatory versus optional for you.

Next, you should proactively address critical points before arriving at your location. If you are heading to a region with a questionable water purification system, pre-book hotels that provide free bottled drinking water, or purchase a portable UV sterilizer or special water purification tablets. This will save you from having to look for a safe source in a rush and protect you from numerous risks.

Factory-sealed bottled water from well-known global or local brands always remains the safest and most reliable option for drinking, brushing teeth, and cooking while traveling. Always check that the bottle cap is hermetically sealed with a factory film or ring, as unscrupulous vendors in some tourist spots may refill empty plastic bottles with regular tap water.

If bottled water is temporarily unavailable and you are extremely thirsty, boiling the water for at least one to two minutes is acceptable to destroy most pathogenic bacteria and viruses. It is strictly not recommended to drink raw tap water or add ice to drinks in questionable catering establishments, as such ice is often frozen from unpurified water.