Is the tap water safe to drink in China? 🇨🇳💦

👎 In general, the water in China is not safe to drink.

Lonely Planet

In general, you should never drink the tap water in China, even in five-star hotels. Boiling water makes it safe to drink, but you might still prefer to buy bottled water for the taste or mineral make-up.

Follow these tips to avoid becoming ill:

Never drink unboiled tap water.
Water fountains at the major airports are clearly marked if they are safe to drink from.
Bottled water is generally safe – check that the seal is intact at purchase.
Avoid ice.
Avoid fresh juices – they may have been watered down.
Boiling water is the most efficient method of purifying water.
At very high altitudes, boil water for an extra minute as water bubbles at a lower temperature.
The best chemical purifier is iodine. It should not be used by pregnant women or those with thyroid problems.
Water filters should also filter out viruses. Ensure your filter has a chemical barrier such as iodine and a pore size of less than 4 microns.

Centers for disease control and prevention (CDC)

According to the CDC tap water is generally not safe for consumption.

Numbeo

According to the Numbeo water drinkability and accessibility index, tap water has a score of 40.66 / 100 (100 being best).

Numbeo considers this score to be "Moderate"

Advantages of drinking (filtered) tap water

1 adult could save about 453$ per year in China by drinking tap water instead of buying bottled water.

🐳 Drinking tap water would also help with reducing your plastic footprint and improve environmental pollution.

Explore places in China

Like in most countries, water quality and accessibility differs from location to location, therefore it's the best to check the information available on that place.

Tap water safety in China 🇨🇳