Tips for Expats: Ensuring Safe Drinking Water Abroad

Whether you’re moving to a new country or travelling far afield for a brief spell, it’s important to have access to clean drinking water. 

Here are some tips to make sure that you and your loved ones can safely hydrate.

Prior to your journey, it is worth researching water security and accessibility at your destination. You might have to pack equipment to help clean the water you drink (more on that below) or it might help to be aware of the need for bottled or backup water.

Some organizations, like the Center for Disease Control (CDC) have comprehensive health-related pre-travel guides to locations around the world. And it’s important to be respectful of the place you’re visiting, which we discuss in our guide to sustainable water for expats. 

You can test water in your new home with easily sourced testing kits. Most home kits are easy to use, with testing strips that you can dip into a glass of water.

To test your water, take the following steps:

1.  Find out the source of your tap water.
2. Determine which contaminants to measure for (this will depend on local research – what’s your area most at risk for?)
3. Dip the testing strip into the water.
4. Check the colour of the strip against the product’s instructions.

Less formally, you can judge water by its colour, odour and cloudiness. Ideally, it should be crystal clear, odourless and tasteless.

We’ve discussed before the dangers of contaminated water and indeed, you don’t have to drink a full glass of it to incur the effects.

The following applies to any locale, but especially if you’re in an unfamiliar country.

Avoid swimming:

• Near storm drains.
• In anything that might have contact with sewage, human or animal waste, or wastewater runoff.
• Any freshwater location (lakes, rivers, canals) after heavy rainfall.

Something as simple as brushing teeth or even showering in compromised water can lead to some ingestion and swallowing, which can then lead to infection.

You can also ingest contaminants from ice that has been made from tap water.

So, research the country you’re travelling to, in order to find out if the tap water is safe to drink. If not, you have numerous options for safer water consumption (see below). 

Disinfectants are commonly available and widely used, not just by international travellers. Iodine water purifying tablets are available in many outdoors and sporting goods stores (as well as from numerous online outlets). On the plus side, iodine tablets protect against many bacteria, are portable, easy to store and fast-acting (less than 30 minutes per litre of water). However, they do affect the colour and taste of the water, and won’t protect against everything (in some cases, such as the parasite, cryptosporidium). Iodine tablets are not available in Europe and not recommended for pregnant people.

Another common disinfectant is chlorine, which any regular swimmer is familiar with. While chlorine is best known for keeping swimming pools clean, it’s also used in water treatment beyond pools.

You can purchase chlorine drops (again, widely available) for water treatment. Be sure to read instructions carefully. It’s especially important to use the recommended dosage. Excess chlorine in water can lead to the same symptoms as water pollution! 

This is a common, and surprisingly effective, way to treat water. Boiling water actually is one of the most impactful methods of making water safer, eliminating many of the most harmful viruses, bacteria, and parasites. In fact, sometimes a local municipality will recommend a ‘boil notice’ if water has been contaminated.

To boil water in these circumstances, bring water to a full rolling boil for a full minute. If you are at an elevation above 6,500 feet, you would have to boil it for longer, specifically for three minutes. Give time to allow the water to cool before use.

While boiling is effective, this method is not tenable as a long-term solution, as boiling water consumes time, money, and energy resources. 

Water filtering has been around for centuries, becoming more refined and sophisticated since its inception hundreds of years ago. Nowadays, you can get portable filters, which are very useful when travelling to unfamiliar places. A decent water filter (i.e., certified by NSF Standards) can remove parasites if it is used properly, though it is ineffective in removing some smaller bacteria.

You can also invest in water filtration for your home, if you expect to stay for more than a few weeks. In fact, we have a guide on  installing water filtration throughout a home. 

The human body needs a steady influx of safe, clean drinking water, so it’s worthwhile to invest in water supplies or purification. As usual, common sense is key.

We have a comprehensive guide to water safety in our Water Hub, which includes a guide for families, keeping your family safe from waterborne illnesses. And for those who live and work abroad, we have a guide to sustainable water practices for expats.