# Water quality in India? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 31, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-quality-in-india/736286 "2015-10-31T21:29:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-quality-in-india/736286/1 "2015-10-31T21:29:58Z")
Someone told me that everywhere in India the tap water is not good enough for drinking. Even in the modern areas. Is that true? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-quality-in-india/736286/2 "2015-11-01T00:13:15Z")
Unless you are in a 5 star hotel I would stick to bottled water. Why take the chance? ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-quality-in-india/736286/3 "2015-11-01T00:15:57Z")
In India - you never know. The water quality is especially bad in the Monsoon season (June to September). ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-quality-in-india/736286/4 "2015-11-01T00:21:13Z")
All that money spent on tech support centers and the water is crap? Maybe they should get their priorities fixed. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-quality-in-india/736286/5 "2015-11-01T00:37:04Z")
You mean the tech support centers that provide jobs to thousands of people? You think they should close them and build water treatment plants instead? Fortunately, they’re not asking your advice. ---
**Author:** ![tingbudong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tingbudong/32/520_2.png) [@tingbudong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tingbudong)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-quality-in-india/736286/6 "2015-11-01T00:38:06Z")
I crushed a few litres of tap water while there with no issues. I have a pretty hardy stomach though. That said, I generally stuck to bottled stuff when travelling there. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-quality-in-india/736286/7 "2015-11-01T00:45:00Z")
Maybe the reason the tech support is so bad is that they have to spend half the day boiling water? ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/water-quality-in-india/736286/8 "2015-11-01T01:32:07Z")
I’ve said this before, but most cities make some attempt at water treatment. The question is, how well is it maintained? Budgets are tights, replacement parts and skilled labor are rare, and public management may not always be at the top quality. So while there is probably treatment of some kind, you cannot rely on it. In places with a large middle class, like India, bottled water is everywhere. Pretty much every middle class home or office has a water service, and you just get used to using the water cooler for drinking water. Bottles of wter are available on every corner for pennies. High-quality water filters or distillers are also available for home uses, and are a more environmentally friendly alternative.