Is the tap water safe to drink in the cities crew fly to?

Tap water verdicts for 30 ports crew fly to, from Perth to Rome to Bali, with ice and tooth-brushing advice from the CDC and local water authorities.

Tap water in the ports crew fly to ranges from fine to a bad idea, and the tap won't tell you which. This guide gives a verdict for each city, based on the CDC's country pages or the city's own water authority. Where the sources disagree, it says check locally.

The CDC's rule for any destination: tap water might be unsafe for drinking, making ice, cooking and brushing teeth, so avoid it unless you have good reason to think it is safe.

Safe from the tap

Perth: Water Corporation says its water complies with the health parameters in the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. The taste changes by suburb because the sources differ.
Sydney and Melbourne: Sydney Water says its water is safe to drink straight from the tap. Yarra Valley Water, one of Melbourne's suppliers, says the same.
Brisbane, Darwin and Cairns: The local utility or council tests to the same national guidelines. Heavy rain in the tropical north can bring a boil-water notice, so look for one before you drink.
Auckland: Watercare says its water meets New Zealand's drinking water standards. A boil-water notice can cover a few suburbs, so check Watercare's updates.
Singapore: PUB says its tap water is suitable for drinking from the tap without further filtration.
Tokyo and Osaka: Tokyo's tourism site says the tap water is safe to drink and meets strict quality rules. Osaka's city government says you can drink the tap water as it comes.
Seoul: The Seoul Metropolitan Government says its tap water, called Arisu, is safe to drink.
Honolulu: The Board of Water Supply says the municipal supply is safe to drink and use. After severe weather it can issue a short boil-water notice.
Los Angeles and Chicago: LADWP says the water delivered to you is safe to drink. Chicago's water department says its supply meets US and Illinois EPA standards.
London: The Drinking Water Inspectorate says tap water in the UK is safe to drink without boiling.
Dublin: Uisce Éireann issues a boil-water notice when it finds harmful bacteria in a supply, and otherwise you can use your water as usual. Check your area on water.ie or call 1800 278 278.
Rome: Italy's national health institute says drinking tap water is as safe as drinking natural mineral water.
Lisbon and Porto: Portugal's water regulator, ERSAR, rates mainland tap water as excellent quality, with its safe-water indicator near 99 percent.

Check locally

Barcelona and Madrid: Spain's health ministry publishes results by supply zone on its SINAC system, so you can look up the water where you are staying.
Bangkok and Phuket: Bangkok's waterworks says its standards follow WHO guidelines, yet the CDC tells travellers in Thailand not to drink water from the tap. The two disagree, so drink sealed bottled water.
Nadi: The Water Authority of Fiji said in 2022 that Nadi's tap water is safe to drink, even after it turned discoloured. Buy bottled water if you are unsure.
Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and Abu Dhabi: We found no plain official statement to rely on. Buy sealed bottled water until someone local tells you the supply is fine.

Bottled water only

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City: The CDC says tap water in Vietnam is unsafe to drink, and ice is unsafe because it is often made from tap water.
Bali: UK travel-health advice for Indonesia tells travellers to drink water that is boiled, filtered or bottled.

Ice and brushing your teeth

The CDC says to avoid ice unless you have good reason to think it was made with safe water. Alcohol in a drink does not kill the germs in contaminated ice. Tap water might also be unsafe for brushing teeth, so use bottled or treated water in the bottled-water ports above.

The CDC lists tea and coffee made with boiling water as safe, and so are sealed carbonated drinks.

Even in a safe port

LADWP notes that old plumbing can affect the water at your tap. If the water comes out cloudy or smells odd, switch to bottled for the stay.

Our guide to avoiding food poisoning on a layover covers the food side, and getting sick on a layover covers what to do if it happens.

On Chocks lists shops and convenience stores under Essentials, and the Open now filter shows which ones are open, so you can find sealed bottled water near you after a late landing.