Is Bali Tap Water Safe to Drink?

No, tap water is not drinkable.

Tap Safe includes data from many publicly available sources, including the WHO (World Health Organization), CDC (Center for Disease Control), and user submitted databases, but unfortunately there's not enough data about Bali.

To see user submitted ratings of the water quality for Indonesia, see the "User Submitted Ratings" box on this page.

According to the CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention), several large nations, including Australia, the United States, Canada, and various European nations, currently have water suitable for human consumption and safe. Only a few Asian nations, including Brunei, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea, have clean water, leaving Bali (as a part of Indonesia) off the list.

Why is tap water in Bali not safe to drink?

Raw Materials for Water Pipes: The PDAM pipe leakage rate reached 33.16 percent, which was caused by a lack of infrastructure and meant the community didn’t get the best service for safe water. Pipe leaks not only hurt the PDAM because they waste a lot of water, but they also make it more likely that bacteria will get into the water because they are exposed to pollution that makes the water dirty.

Habibi’s (2017) research shows that several PDAMs have used low-quality ACP (Asbestos Cement Pipe) pipes that are likely to leak. On the other hand, this ACP has asbestos, which is terrible for our bodies because it can cause cancer. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe is one of the pipe materials that can replace the existing pipe. It is made of safe and durable materials that can help the water distribution system in Indonesia.

The absence of maintenance during distribution is another factor. The PDAM uses a chemical filtration system to clean the water by adding chlorine and chlorine-containing compounds. However, water contamination can occur if pipe breaches during distribution. Therefore, a chlorine monitoring system is required to ensure that the chemical, which can kill various germs, including coliform, remains in the water that enters the residence. Additionally, one of the factors contributing to water contamination during the distribution process is the PDAM’s neglect of the cleanliness of the water pipelines. The water is dangerous to drink since different microorganisms are growing along the streams.

Drinking water in Bali

Health experts tell people in Indonesia to boil tap water before drinking it. The goal of boiling the water is to kill any bacteria or parasites in it. The water must boil for 30 minutes at 70 degrees Celsius or 5 minutes at 100 degrees Celsius. Even a tiny mistake when boiling water can leave bacteria that can make people sick. Most Indonesians drink bottled water instead of boiling water. At first glance, this solution seems like an easy and safe way to get water, but in the long run, it can hurt the environment by making more people use plastic. Some gallon packages also have BPA (bisphenol-A), making the water unsafe for toddlers and polluting it.

Water filter technology is one of the new technologies that are helping the people of Indonesia get the safe drinking water they need. This technology lets people drink water straight from the tap through a filtering process. Several health groups recommend a ceramic water filter from Terra Water Indonesia as one way to filter water. This filter’s main ingredient is clay, which contains carbon and colloidal silver. This makes a microscopic surface that traps bacteria and parasites in the water. Lab tests show that the water filtered by the Terra filter is free of bacteria, viruses, and parasites. It also gets rid of chemicals and other harmful substances.

On the other hand, the Terra filter uses local clay that has been used by many traditional cultures, including Indonesia. This filter is also a good choice because it doesn’t need a battery or other power source to work. The PDAM also uses chemicals to clean the water, but Terra Filter adds a physical filtration system so the community can use tap water for drinking. With this filter, you can drink safe tap water in Bali.