Tap water in Sierra Leone

Not safe to drink

The WHO and UNICEF put safely managed drinking water within reach of 10% of people in Sierra Leone. National figures describe a country, not the tap in front of you.

What the sources say

WHO / UNICEF JMP

10% of the population has safely managed drinking water, meaning it is free from contamination at the point of use.

Coverage splits by where you are: 12% in urban areas against 9% in rural ones.

US CDC Travelers' Health

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

Numbeo

0.0/100 on the water drinkability and accessibility index, which Numbeo reads as “Very low”. This one is crowdsourced from residents rather than measured.

Lonely Planet

Stick to drinking bottled water in Sierra Leone and try to avoid the sachets of water sold on the street – these are often contaminated.

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.

Elsewhere in Africa