If you are in the process of planning a holiday abroad, you may find yourself wondering about the quality of water at your destination. Is it safe to drink? Why exactly are travellers encouraged not to drink the tap water in certain countries? It might be surprising to learn that nearly 20 per cent of the world’s population does not have access to clean drinking water.
Water, you know you’re lucky to be able to
have drinking water
Many people believe that tap water is safe to drink in certain places because the people who reside their drink it without issue. Don’t be fooled by this and think it is okay to drink the water. Different bacteria are present in the water supplies of different countries. While the residents of your holiday destination may have adapted to the water supply, your own body might put up a fight if you decided to test out the water.
Of all the countries where water should not be consumed by travellers, Mexico is one of the most well known. Many of the residents of Mexico do not even drink the tap water despite its quality dramatically improving over the years. Because so many travellers in Mexico are affected by traveller’s diarrhoea, the condition has been nicknamed Montezuma’s Revenge.
A Mexican water fountain
The infrastructure that was built in Mexico to distribute water to citizens has become worn and is known to leak. If water can escape, dangerous bacteria can find its way into the pipes. Mexico also lacks adequate funding to build enough water treatment plants to ensure that the water that comes out of the tap is safe to drink. Many upscale resorts throughout Mexico install their own treatment facilities so they can provide their guests with safe water during their stay.
A number of countries in Africa struggle with the quality of their water supply. This is very evident in Sudan where many homes in the rural portions of the country do not even have a tap. Instead, some families have to walk a considerable distance in order to collect water to drink. The water typically comes from ponds and wells that have been dug by hand. These water sources are frequently contaminated by bacteria and parasites that can both be deadly.
A lot of Africa struggle with their drinking water
Zimbabwe also struggles with the quality of its drinking water. The treatment plants used in Zimbabwe to treat sewage are not efficient enough to process all of the waste. It was discovered that the untreated sewage was being added to a major water supply. Hundreds of cases of dysentery and diarrhoea resulted from the contaminated water.
The lack of clean drinking water also resulted in a major cholera outbreak in 2008. Nearly 100,000 people were affected by the illness with more than 4,000 deaths reported. Zimbabwe simply did not have enough chemicals to treat the contaminated water and much of the country was left without running water for a considerable amount of time.
Cholera is not a very nice thing to deal with…
Travellers are generally advised to avoid most of the tap water in South American countries. Although Peru has come a long way in the last two decades, tap water should still be avoided. The water infrastructure system in Peru is lacking in terms of sustainability. Chemicals to threat the water supply properly are also sparse. Sewage treatment is also lacking with a great deal of it being pumped into the ocean. Peru has plenty of water sources but the most highly populated areas of the country, which lie along the pacific coastline, do not have access to enough water to meet the demand.
It is a good idea to avoid the drinking water during a trip to Russia. The vast majority of water throughout the country is polluted. Some of the main rivers that run through Russia contain dangerous diseases including salmonella, dysentery, typhoid fever, and cholera. Toxic chemicals have also been rampantly disposed of in the country’s water supply.
Russian water
Russia’s water transportation system is seriously antiquated and many of the pipes are cracked. Even clean water that is being transported through this system is likely to be contaminated due to the lack of maintenance. Certain areas in Russia are also prone to water shortages, which only contributes to the degraded quality of the country’s drinking water. The Eastern portion of Russia, which is home to approximately 60 million people, tends to be affected the most by poor water quality.
If you are concerned about the quality of the drinking water at your holiday destination, the easiest way to avoid the situation is to drink bottled water only. If you are at a restaurant, make sure the bottle of water is opened in front of you. You also want to avoid any soft drinks that might have been mixed with tap water. Many people overlook ice cubes as being a potential source of danger. Make sure to avoid any drinks that might have ice in them, including mixed drinks.
Bottled water not good for the environment, but good for the tum!
Many travellers assume that they are safe by simply avoiding drinking water that comes from the tap. Keep in mind that it is also advisable to watch what you eat in countries where the water is not safe to drink. Anything that might have been washed in tap water and was not cooked may also be contaminated. Travellers should exercise caution when eating raw salads and vegetables. It is also a good idea to use bottled water when brushing your teeth.
A quick browse though the travel advisors posted by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office will reveal several countries with tap water that should not be consumed. While some of these warnings are posted because the water is truly dangerous to consume, other countries have different types of bacteria in the water that we might not be used to, which can result in the dreaded traveller’s diarrhoea. It is always a good idea to do some independent research on the water supply at your holiday destination so you are fully prepared for what might be awaiting you. To be safe, it is a good idea to pack anti-diarrhoea medicine just in case!
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i think we all need to recycling water
thank you!