How to Use Water in Vietnam Correctly and Safely

How is tap water in Vietnam?

Tap water is the main source of domestic water supply in major provinces and cities of our country today. When judged by the senses, tap water looks clear, clean, and dirt-free.

Tap water in Vietnam, taken from groundwater or water from rivers, lakes, and ponds, is treated through a water purification system with industrial treatment methods. Then, it is supplied to households through pipes and endpoints in the water faucet.

The tap water treated at treatment plants serves the people’s needs. Most of these sources meet the domestic water standards set by the Ministry of Health of Vietnam and are safe to use daily.

Can you drink it directly?

In Vietnam, almost no one is confident or dares to use tap water for drinking directly without cooking or other treatment methods.

There are reasons to explain why you cannot drink tap water in Vietnam:

• Firstly, the water treatment system and technology here still need to be improved. When brought in, upstream water is filtered from dirt, residue, and algae, and chlorine is used to remove some heavy metals and bacteria. However, this is just a basic step, not a thorough one. Tap water still contains some bacteria and chemicals, especially chlorine residues. So, it can be said that water is relatively clean but not for direct drinking.
• Second, the quality of the water pipeline system in Vietnam could be more stable. The pipes have not been replaced for a long time and are often rusted and covered with dirt. So, even if the water source is clean when running through these pipes, it will also be contaminated with heavy metals, dirt, bacteria, etc. Also, pipeline monitoring, maintenance, inspection, and repair can be costly.
• In addition, and more importantly, the water system needs to be disinfected regularly, which is difficult to do effectively because of a lack of finances and techniques.

If not treated carefully before drinking, tap water can affect human health.

Many areas have very foul tap water and a high chlorine concentration because chlorine is left over from treating tap water. Drinking excess chlorine is toxic to the liver, kidneys, and digestive system.

That’s not to mention the metal substances contaminated in the water, which are many times more harmful and have a high risk of causing cancer.

Water quality in Vietnam

Most of the cities in Vietnam have tap water to use, which means that the urban habitats meet the basic requirements of water standards to use in their daily life.

However, many rural areas in Vietnam use water from bore wells, dug wells, or springs.

Many people in the mountainous regions and the Central Highlands are still not aware of the importance of clean water.

When asked whether the water they are using is hygienic, many people think that having water to use is already very lucky, but the quality of the water source is not mentioned.

Although the state has built several clean waterworks in mountainous areas and rural villages, many projects are damaged quickly. Also, the local people there have faced unsafe water heavily contaminated with alum, salt, or lime.

Therefore, when traveling to rural or mountainous sites in Vietnam, you should bring enough bottled drinking water, wash your face, and brush your teeth.

We recommend that you arrange your trip, starting with famous tourist cities in Vietnam and taking this as the foundation for visiting rural and mountainous areas.

Bottled water in Vietnam

In the bottled water market in Vietnam, many brands, from unknown ones to famous companies, have also been involved in the production of bottled water.

Although plenty of companies can distribute more products to consumers, this issue is opening the market to poor-quality water bottles because the government can not control all product quality.

You are very careful with water bottles from local manufacturers. Their quality is not guaranteed because it is hard to manage and thoroughly handle these organizations, although the local authorities have tried hard to stop them.

The bottles produced from a small facility usually have a low price. This creates an opportunity for some unscrupulous traders to use it to sell to tourists who don’t know much about it.

If you are a foreigner, it is better to choose famous brands to ensure your health and help you visit Vietnam completely. Specifically, if you exercise or run marathons in Vietnam, you must select water bottles carefully.

You can choose Pepsico’s Aquafina, Coca-Cola’s Dasani, or Nestle’s La Vie, but avoid fakes. The most suitable choices are reputable stores and supermarkets.

The price of a 500 ml drink bottle costs from 5,000 to 10,000 VND, and a 1.5-liter bottle costs from 10,000 to 20,000 VND, depending on whether you buy it cold or normal and buy it at a retail store or a restaurant.

You’d better drink it cold. If there is no cold, drink while it is still cool, and avoid drinking when the water bottles are warm.

Should you drink ice while you’re in Vietnam?

It is difficult to distinguish clean from dirty ice. It is hard to tell with the naked eye if ice is clean because it is colorless and odorless, so it cannot be judged by eyes or nose like other traditional Vietnamese foods.

Many local people use ice as a normal drinking habit. Ice is “an interesting addition” to support refreshment.

There are two types of ice: Instant ice for drinking and ice manufactured for food preservation or other purposes. You do not drink ice to preserve food.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health has stipulated that instant ice is clean when it ensures three factors: the source of ice-making water, production machinery, and distribution packaging.

The water source must be tested, modern machinery must be used to make ice, and ice must be packaged in sealed PE bags. There must be no breakage during transportation to the selling points, and cold storage is requested.

However, because of the profit, many ice production facilities do not meet the above requirements, and even the distribution stage does not ensure food safety and hygiene.

The use of dirty ice brings many health risks. Dirty ice is easily contaminated with E. coli, Coliforms, and Fecal streptococcal bacteria, which can cause intestinal diseases, acute diarrhea, some kidney failure, and blood sugar infections.

Therefore, if you need ice for instant use, you should use ice at production facilities that have been granted food safety and hygiene certificates of eligibility.

When you are a tourist, you should ask the restaurant what water the ice is from. You can rest assured that the ice is made from bottled water by reputable companies or that they make their own from cold-boiled water.

In many cases, when using ice under normal conditions, there is still no problem. There may be no, or the amount of toxins or bacteria in the ice is not enough to cause harm to the body. However, drinking ice water with beer or other drinks should be paid attention to. Best of all, if you prefer to drink cold, use chilled bottled water, beer, and other beverages chilled.

10 important notes with water in Vietnam

In general, tap water is safe to boil to drink. However, the risks of water pollution are unavoidable. So, you can check the water quality by observing. If you see any problem with the water source, you can contact the restaurant, hotel, or supplier owner to fix that situation, ensuring your health and that of others.

2. If tap water has a strange smell, you should not use it because it can contain a lot of chlorine. Boiling cannot remove this chemical, and it will be unsafe for drinking.

3. Do not let the boiled water for too long. In a typical environment, more than 12 hours is too long. In boiling water processing, the bacteria can die, but not all of them. Then, if you keep the boiled water at the average temperature for a long time, it will create conditions for bacteria to grow stronger.

4. Do not use boiled water to cook again the next day because heating water again can help bacteria relive strongly. The best solution is to boil enough water to drink during the day.

5. Be careful when using bottled water if you open the lid, especially in warm and humid conditions. If you leave it in the car in hot temperatures, please use another one!

6. Tap water is usually safe for brushing teeth, but you should not swallow it. If you accidentally drink tap water, you can quickly add a little bit more bottled water to dilute the environment.

7. Do not bathe in rivers, streams, or the sea when you detect one of the following signs: unusual color or strange objects. That is a safe way to protect your health, especially your skin and diarrhea.

8. Always be careful to ask your guide or operator to bring enough water or be sure you can buy enough bottled water on trips to the countryside and mountains in Vietnam.

9. With forest expeditions, be careful with spring water, which may contain many pathogens. It is better to join a forest trip with a tour company and avoid exploring the primeval jungle alone. For example, if you explore Son Doong cave in Quang Binh, the tour company will bring drinking water to cook for the entire trip.

10. Be careful with rainwater in some urban areas, especially with many industrial plants. Rainwater can contain acids and minerals that are harmful to your skin and health. An umbrella or a light raincoat to keep in your body and bag is a good choice.