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Tap Water Safety in Russia

Yes! Generally Safe to Drink*

LAST UPDATED: April 8, 2021 12:53 pm
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Table of Contents

How do People In Russia Rate The Tap Water?

Travellers and residents of Russia have rated the water quality and pollution as follows, according to subjective survey data. A score of 100% is considered very high, and a score of 0% is very low. Please be cautious that "moderate to very high" water pollution is bad and the higher the rate of water quality the better.

Can you drink the tap water in Russia?

The US Center for Disease Control's travel advisory recommends avoiding tap water and drinking bottled or disinfected water in Russia (source). Like all countries though, water accessibility, sanitation, and treatment vary widely from location to location, so we encourage looking for specific city information.

What do people in Russia think about the tap water?

While brushing your teeth with tap water is OK, assume that it isn’t safe to drink. Stick to bottled water, boil water for 10 minutes, or use water purification tablets or a filter.

Wikitravel

It is better not to drink the tap water in Russia and to avoid using ice in drinks, however bottled water and also Kvass are available everywhere food is served.
Mixed alcoholic beverages as well as beers at nightclubs and bars are extremely expensive and are served without ice, with the mix (for example, coke) and alcohol charged for separately. Bringing your own is neither encouraged nor allowed, and some (usually dance-all-night venues oriented to the young crowd) places in Moscow even can take some measures to prevent customers from drinking outside (like a face-control who may refuse an entry on return, or the need to pay entry fee again after going out), or even from drinking the tap water instead of overpriced soft drinks by leaving only hot water available in the lavatories. Any illegal drugs, even marijuana, are best avoided: Russian anti-drug laws are extremely tough, the Federal Drug Control Service is well-trained, and it really doesn't worth the risk here.
Quality of tap water varies around the country, and may even be variable within cities. In old buildings tap water can be non-potable. In the big cities of European Russia, the water is clean of biological contaminants. If you can't buy bottled water, boil water before drinking, or better yet use a special filter for tap water, which you could buy in any supermarket.

USER SUBMITTED RATINGS

tap water
  • Drinking Water Pollution and Inaccessibility 45% Moderate
  • Water Pollution 53% Moderate
  • Drinking Water Quality and Accessibility 55% Moderate
  • Water Quality 47% Moderate

The above data is comprised of subjective, user submitted opinions about the water quality and pollution in , measured on a scale from 0% (lowest) to 100% (highest).

Reminder

Always take extra precautions, the water may be safe to drink when it leaves the sewage treatment plant but it may pick up pollutants during its way to your tap. We advise that you ask locals or hotel staff about the water quality. Also, note that different cities have different water mineral contents.

Sources and Resources

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Check tap water safety of cities in the Russia

How Do Your Rate the Tap Water in Your City?

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How do you find the quality and the accessibility of the drinking water?

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