Tap water in Mexico

Not safe to drink

The WHO and UNICEF put safely managed drinking water within reach of 43% of people in Mexico. National figures describe a country, not the tap in front of you.

What the sources say

WHO / UNICEF JMP

43% 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 Mexico.

Numbeo

54.18/100 on the water drinkability and accessibility index, which Numbeo reads as “Moderate”. This one is crowdsourced from residents rather than measured.

Lonely Planet

Tap water in Mexico is mostly not safe to drink. Purified water in plastic bottles is sold everywhere and is also available from large dispensers in some accommodations. The most...

Tap water in Mexico is mostly not safe to drink. Purified water in plastic bottles is sold everywhere and is also available from large dispensers in some accommodations. The most effective means of water purification is vigorous boiling for one minute (three minutes at altitudes over 2000m). Another option is a SteriPen (www.steripen.com), which kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses with ultraviolet light. Pregnant women and those with a history of thyroid disease should not drink iodinated water.

This is a national picture, and it varies. Some cities treat their water to a standard the country as a whole does not reach. Where the water is not safe, boiling, filtering or sealed bottles are the usual options, and ice and raw salad washed in tap water carry the same risk as the water itself.

What bottled water costs you here

Drinking tap water instead of bottled would save one adult about 438$ a year in Mexico, and keep several hundred plastic bottles out of circulation.

Work out your own saving

Places in Mexico

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

Elsewhere in North America