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Tap Water Safety in Bolivia

Do not Drink :(

LAST UPDATED: April 8, 2021 12:53 pm
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Table of Contents

How do People In Bolivia Rate The Tap Water?

Travellers and residents of Bolivia have rated the water quality and pollution as follows, according to subjective survey data. A score of 100% is considered very high, and a score of 0% is very low. Please be cautious that "moderate to very high" water pollution is bad and the higher the rate of water quality the better.

Can you drink the tap water in Bolivia?

The US Center for Disease Control's travel advisory recommends avoiding tap water and drinking bottled or disinfected water in Bolivia (source). Like all countries though, water accessibility, sanitation, and treatment vary widely from location to location, so we encourage looking for specific city information.

What do people in Bolivia think about the tap water?

Tap water is not safe to drink. Bottled mineral water is cheap and freely available. Use it for everything and if you are going anywhere remote take a good supply with you. Should you find yourself desperate, thirsty and with nowhere to buy water, then try the following.Boiling Vigorous boiling for one minute is the most effective means of water purification. At altitudes greater than 2000m (6500ft), boil for three minutes.Purification pills Disinfect water with purification tablets, available at most pharmacies.Filters Filters with smaller pores (reverse osmosis filters) provide the broadest protection, but they are relatively large and are readily plugged by debris. Those with larger pores (microstrainer filters) are ineffective against viruses, although they remove other organisms. Manufacturers’ instructions must be carefully followed.

Wikitravel

''Kaa Iya National Park''' - Part of the 2nd largest forested area in the world, this remote and rarely visited National Park is the best place in Bolivia to see big mammals, especially Jaguar, Tapirs and Pumas.'''Samaipata''' - Just 3 hours drive from Santa Cruz Bolivia, this inter Andean Town is the base for amazing adventures which include trekking Amboro National Park, The worlds best Condor trek, El Fuerte Ruins, Multiple Waterfalls, Che Guevara Route and more.'''Utuquis National Park''' - Bolivian Pantanal / Remote yet an amazing place to see Anacondas, Capybara, Birdwatching and the Marsh Deer'''Lomas de Arena''' - Protected area outside Santa Cruz , this 14,000 hectare desert offers excellent hiking, wildife viewing, birding and Sand boarding '''Santiago de Chiquitos''' - This incredible small town is host to a huge variety of adventures which include rock climbing, thermal rivers, waterfalls, rock paintings, music festivals, jungle treks and much more
You can't usually drink tap water in Bolivia. There's plenty of bottled water being sold in the stores. One note though: if you're not a Coca-Cola company (very strong in Bolivia) fan, in some towns you may have trouble getting water from other manufacturer.

USER SUBMITTED RATINGS

tap water
  • Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility 53% Moderate
  • Water Pollution 65% High
  • Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility 47% Moderate
  • Water Quality 35% Low

The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in , measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).

Reminder

Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.

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