Medical experts will always tell you to make sure you drink enough water. It’s why we’ve focused on drinking water so many times:
- The countries where you can and can’t drink the water
- Why tap water tastes different, depending on where you are
- Why plane coffee and tea really are safe to drink
But people still seem to worry about the faucet in their hotel.
I mean, they seem to be OK with using tap water for daily activities like washing their face or even brushing their teeth. But DRINKING the tap water? From a bathroom sink? Then, they suddenly get iffy about it.
Bottom line is, the safety of the water that comes out of your hotel tap mostly depends on where you are. However it will occasionally also depend on your particular hotel.
Where you are
Different countries and regions may have a variety of levels of water quality regulations, infrastructure, and treatment processes. Some hotels might have water purification methods that meet safety standards, others may have inadequate filtration systems or maintenance practices.
Case in point, when we went to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Somewhere between 68 and 84% of water sources in Southeast Asia are contaminated, and we were told to avoid tap water. We only drank bottled water and also used that to brush our teeth. On the rare occasions that we were not with our guides and were on our own for a meal, we got bottled or canned drinks. However, on our way home, we had an overnight stopover in Singapore, where tap water is considered to be some of the cleanest in the world. It was nice to brush my teeth with tap water again!
Meanwhile, here in the U.S., the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) was passed in 1974. It was created to protect the quality of drinking water throughout the country. It gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authorization to establish minimum standards to safeguard tap water sources and requires operators of public water systems to comply with set regulations. These standards extend to any water supply that’s intended for drinking, whether from an above-ground or underground water source.
Specifics for your hotel
The water in a hotel is usually safe as the public water supply where the hotel is located. NYC? You’re fine. Flint, MI? Probably not so much.
How long it’s been open
Remember during COVID-19, when scientists were concerned because hotel rooms were reopening and people could catch Legionairre’s Disease? Yeah…that. a hotel room that hasn’t had the water running for a while could be at risk for whatever bacteria has been developing in the interim.
Where it’s located
That being said, if your hotel is in some remote area that’s not covered by the public works, you may want to be more careful. Some hotels in “further out” locations may have their own water supply (i.e. wells), which may not be as regulated as the public water supply in town.
How old the hotel’s pipes are
If your hotel is very old and is still using its original pipes, you may need to worry about lead in the pipes.
What are the risks of drinking unclean tap water?
If you drink tap water that has unsafe levels of contaminants, you run the risk of contracting certain health illnesses, including gastrointestinal issues, reproductive issues, and neurological disorders.
Infants, young children, pregnant people, older adults, and people who have weakened immune systems may be at a higher risk of becoming ill from drinking contaminated water.
How can you tell if the hotel tap water is safe or not?
Look at it: is it cloudy or discolored? Does it have little pieces of stuff floating in it?
Smell it: does it have a strong or unpleasant smell?
Are there water quality reports in the area where the hotel is? Did the U.S. government give any warning about the quality of water where you are?
There are several portable water filters around, that you can buy if you’re that unsure.
But for the most part, if you’re traveling in the U.S., the water is checked and inspected on a regular basis. With few exceptions, it should be safe.
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