Tap water in Azerbaijan

Generally safe to drink

The WHO and UNICEF put safely managed drinking water within reach of 88% of people in Azerbaijan. National figures describe a country, not the tap in front of you.

What the sources say

WHO / UNICEF JMP

88% of the population has safely managed drinking water, meaning it is free from contamination at the point of use.

US CDC Travelers' Health

Advises travellers that tap water is generally not safe to drink in Azerbaijan.

Numbeo

37.64/100 on the water drinkability and accessibility index, which Numbeo reads as “Low”. This one is crowdsourced from residents rather than measured.

Lonely Planet

In most bigger Azerbaijani cities, drinking tap water is not recommended without boiling it first. Bottled water is widely available. In rural areas, water drawn from springs is generally excellent and many city folk carry empty bottles when driving country lanes to fill up at a roadside 'bulaq' (spring).

Safe nationally still means ask locally. Older buildings can carry lead or copper pipework, and a single street can differ from the network feeding it. If you are staying somewhere old, ask your host.

What bottled water costs you here

Drinking tap water instead of bottled would save one adult about 343$ a year in Azerbaijan, and keep several hundred plastic bottles out of circulation.

Work out your own saving

Places in Azerbaijan

Water quality is local. These places have their own readings.

Elsewhere in Asia