Hong Kong and Macau - HK tap water: drinkable?

I am getting extremely conflicting reports about the tap water in Hong Kong. Two friends -- one has lived there for decades, the other does a lot of business there -- both tell me that the water is fine for drinking. However, I contacted my hotel (Hotel Icon) and the Hong Kong Tourism Bureau, and both say that the tap water must be boiled first.

So what's the real deal? And why the disagreement? I'm getting the feeling that a lot of the locals are holding on to old beliefs about the water that are no longer based on any merit.

According to the Hong Kong Water Supplies Department, tap water is potable if your building is managed properly, and the right type of water pipe and water tank are used:

http://www.wsd.gov.hk/en/faqs/water_quality/index.html#tape

I would boil first, just to be safe.

I have never been to that property but have always had water straight from the tap in HK at the properties I have stayed at. Conrad, Prudential, Sheraton, Holiday Inn and Royal Pacific are the ones that come to mind immediately but probably a couple I dont remember. I think the deal is.....the tourism board and hotel have to give safe answers. They tell you it is fine to drink and then you get sick or something (even if it is not the water) then they have to deal with liability.

I am sure there are areas that you should not drink the water but I have not had any problems at the hotels I have been to.

I've always had hotels supply lots of free bottled water, which I drink, but I use tap for brushing teeth, etc. and do not obsess about the possibility of swallowing water in the shower the way I do in places where you should not drink the water. I'm not sure whether I would worry about ice cubes in Hong Kong; I can't recall ordering an iced beverage but I think hotel rooms have ice buckets which are filled at turndown.

I wouldn't worry too much about it especially if you're in a newer building. I usually drink bottled water, but I do brush my teeth with tap water and haven't suffered any ill-effects. Our place is about a decade old and I'd have no problem drinking the water there. In an old building with old pipes and poorly maintained infrastructure, probably not.

The locals boil tap water as a general rule of thumb. It's just not for HK only but many of us who travel overseas tend to boil it as well. The government is always out there commenting on how safe it is and I haven't heard about tap water illness cases on the news in the past few years.

1) Tap water leaving the processing plants do meet international standards. In a local documentary on this subject (by TVB, available on Youtube, in Chinese), a water authorities official drank a glass on camera, while inside the facility

2) The same official went on to say that because of unknown maintenance standards/quality of water storage tanks and pipes in buildings, it is advisable to drink only boiled tap water

3) No genuine local drinks straight from the tap at home. Some would even drink only filtered and boiled tap water. Drinking fountains in schools, gyms etc. supply water that's filtered and/or UV treated.

Many of my friends tend to have upset stomach after having cold drinks with ice cubes in cheap local independent restaurants ("cha-charn-tang" ,not large chains or upscale places).

I always brush my teeth with water straight from the tap, never a problem. But I would never drink straight from the tap.

Tap water is considered safe in Hong Kong, provided the pipes are up to standard. If not, boiling is no use either. It only kills bacteria , not other contamination.

Ice at any restaurant is made from boiled or purified or bottled water. Won't be straight from the tap. That's one of the reasons why it cost more to have cold drinks at many low-end eateries, as there's a not-insignificant cost to them.

Above posters already answered why hotels may not recommend tap water. I'll put it this way - if all the local hotel workers NEVER drink from their taps, and actually think it's ridiculous or dangerous to even have that thought, then it may be a little bit hypocritical for them to tell the guests it's totally safe, even if it actually is.

Ice at any restaurant is made from boiled or purified or bottled water. Won't be straight from the tap. That's one of the reasons why it cost more to have cold drinks at many low-end eateries, as there's a not-insignificant cost to them.

Not sure if it's cost related. If you order hot lemon water in a restaurant, they have to boil the water and it will cost a lot to boil too, if you order cold lemon water, they can just pour water straight from the tap. I think it's just a way to get people to pay more since HK can be steaming hot during summer.

The hotels I stayed at provide bottled water and it didn't say anything about tap water is drinkable.

My family filtered and boiled water before they drink it. It's a hassle but it's better safe than sorry. Getting ill in HK is not so fun, when I get a cold in HK, it takes longer time to recover. My mum always tell me to see a doctor but I have lived in Europe long enough to believe in the fact that you can treat a cold/flu.

I don't boil my tap water, but I filter it. In most restaurants in HK, if you ask for cold water or any beverage with ice, the water/ice will have come straight from the tap with no boiling/filtering. I used to work in a local restaurant serving western cusine and we were instructed to fill the jugs straight form the tap and add slices of lemon.


I think foreigners who are used to very clean water etc... maybe advised not to drink straight from the tap, but to locals it doesn't matter. Most people boil for hygienic reasons especially as many non commercial buildings are old.

I don't boil my tap water, but I filter it. In most restaurants in HK, if you ask for cold water or any beverage with ice, the water/ice will have come straight from the tap with no boiling/filtering. I used to work in a local restaurant serving western cuisine and we were instructed to fill the jugs straight from the tap and add slices of lemon.


Ah, the truth comes out. :) Anyone disagree?

>> Ice at any restaurant is made from boiled or purified or bottled water. Won't be straight from the tap.

I personally find this hard to believe at the cheap cha-charn-tang's. If a filter is never replaced/cleaned, that's even worse.

>> if you order cold lemon water, they can just pour water straight from the tap.

but any other cold drink, they have to brew/dissolve whatever in boiling/hot water and cool it down which takes time/electricity

My understand is that all large buildings in Hong Kong have a water tank which feeds the taps in that building. The quality of the water in a building depends on the condition of that tank, which in turn depends on age, maintenance etc.

Just buy water from Watsons. It's available everywhere, is cheap, and is good.

Audrey

Just buy water from Watsons. It's available everywhere, is cheap, and is good.

Yes it's relatively cheap - but not really cheap compared to Europe. In France and Germany you can get a 1.5l of water for around 0.2 EUR which is roughly HKD 2. That's not Evian or Vittel or Watsons, but in Watson's you might have to pay at least HKD 3 for 0.5l of water.

A lot of people in Hong Kong can't afford that.

I think a big problem is the empty bottles - people throw away so many of them each day and it creates a lot of rubbish.

This is one of the main drawbacks of living in Hong Kong according to Mr. Nacho. He likes cold water from the tap.

Tap water is actually not cold during the summer months as the searing heat warms up the water tanks on the roofs of buildings.

Tap water is actually not cold during the summer months as the searing heat warms up the water tanks on the roofs of buildings.

Of course! HK summer is like a big sauna. It's the thing that I really don't miss about HK.

I think a big problem is the empty bottles - people throw away so many of them each day and it creates a lot of rubbish.


I actually buy the biggest bottle I can get and use it to refill the small bottle I carry around. :+>

Audrey

.......

So what's the real deal? And why the disagreement? I'm getting the feeling that a lot of the locals are holding on to old beliefs about the water that are no longer based on any merit.

The water is OK but the beer tastes better :)

I found the taste to be a bit off, I still drank it from the tap if I was thirsty but would usually boil it then put the kettle in the fridge.

Not sure if it's cost related. If you order hot lemon water in a restaurant, they have to boil the water and it will cost a lot to boil too, if you order cold lemon water, they can just pour water straight from the tap. I think it's just a way to get people to pay more since HK can be steaming hot during summer.

My family filtered and boiled water before they drink it. It's a hassle but it's better safe than sorry. Getting ill in HK is not so fun, when I get a cold in HK, it takes longer time to recover. My mum always tell me to see a doctor but I have lived in Europe long enough to believe in the fact that you can treat a cold/flu.

In HK I boil then leave it to cool, but in London I filter from the tap.

How does boiling water cost a lot? Remember that 95% of restaurants serve hot tea +/- water whether you want it or not, and only the higher-end restaurants charge you for it, but you are actually paying for the air-con, not the water.

I get colds in HK at 15°C but not in London at 5°C (unless someone sneezes directly into my face - grr)

In HK I boil then leave it to cool, but in London I filter from the tap.

How does boiling water cost a lot? Remember that 95% of restaurants serve hot tea +/- water whether you want it or not, and only the higher-end restaurants charge you for it, but you are actually paying for the air-con, not the water.

I get colds in HK at 15°C but not in London at 5°C (unless someone sneezes directly into my face - grr)

I was referring to a previous post about why Cold drinks cost extra but not hot drinks. What I said was that it costs pretty much the same to make hot/cold drinks.

Heating things up costs a lot of $$$ - I'm sure you know since you live in London. When I was living in the UK, I filtered water and then boil it and drink it because my Brita filter jug had a black charcoal layer from the filter. I think it's a bit weird to drink it straight from there - I know it's perfectly safe.

You do pay for 'tea' at yum cha restaurants, even at Tim Ho Wan.

Why run the risk of getting sick when you can afford bottled water.

If you are on vacation, why take the chance of getting ill?

Have lived in HKG for over 4 years and never in a nice/new building by any means. Always have drank the tap. Have never been sick. Continue to drink tap to this day.

Have lived in HKG for over 4 years and never in a nice/new building by any means. Always have drank the tap. Have never been sick. Continue to drink tap to this day.

You probably had a strong immune system to start with. By now your body is used to whatever is in the water :).

I'm not so sure, but appreciate the compliment :). Plenty of people I know here drink tap water.

I think, sadly for HK and some other places, the fact that its in Asia and was "developing" in the past or to some "is" (and then some visit here and realize its developed), probably does not help with the perception that the tap water is not safe. I am sure there are old buildings with poor plumbing/pipes etc in NA/Europe though people pay it no attention and drink the tap stuff.

I know I drank the tap stuff on my first visit in 1996 (as did my family) when I did a lot less travel and perhaps was more sensitive and nothing happened either.

In the end I would not worry about it (especially as a resident), but if on a business trip it never hurts to be more cautious, regardless.

I'm not so sure, but appreciate the compliment :). Plenty of people I know here drink tap water.

I think, sadly for HK and some other places, the fact that its in Asia and was "developing" in the past or to some "is" (and then some visit here and realize its developed), probably does not help with the perception that the tap water is not safe. I am sure there are old buildings with poor plumbing/pipes etc in NA/Europe though people pay it no attention and drink the tap stuff.

I know I drank the tap stuff on my first visit in 1996 (as did my family) when I did a lot less travel and perhaps was more sensitive and nothing happened either.

In the end I would not worry about it (especially as a resident), but if on a business trip it never hurts to be more cautious, regardless.

I got sick gargling tap water at a hotel in Los Angeles. LOL.

Here in Bangkok I brush my teeth with tap water here. No problems yet.

I remember at the St. Regis in Singapore I drank a glass of water and no problems.

Never had an issue with it since i moved. The locals boil it through habit more than anything - back in the day you had to. Now, unless you're in a grotty old building, of which there are very few left in central area, you dont need to bother.

Given the general hygiene standards of people here, there is plenty more worth worrying about than the water.

tap water in hk is drinkable. iim sure i do it a lot in resturants - some have filters and im sure not all and i've drank from them.

ice in cha chan teng: they buy it. that's why the shape is always the same.

boiling water cuz chinese thinks "raw" water and "cooked" water respond differently to body. Hence many of those suggestions.

However if the building is old i suggest buying water. there's not much boiling can do to metal deposits and rust. or dissolvable metal ions.

How often do they clean out the roof top water tanks in residential buildings? Once a decade, maybe? or when dead bodies are found?

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For my building it is clean every quarter, and doors are locked so I think little chance of dead bodies lol

How often do they clean out the roof top water tanks in residential buildings? Once a decade, maybe? or when dead bodies are found?

I suspect they clean them as often as they clean the ones in New York City.:)

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For my building it is clean every quarter, and doors are locked so I think little chance of dead bodies lol

Knowing Hong Kong there is a rule for this. :)

I lived in Hong Kong most of the last 10 years. We always had filtered and bottled water. That is not to say I wouldn't brush my teeth ect. with local water, but I never drank it.

Building water was always flushed and chlorinated every month.

So funny, I was just having a conversation about this with my friend over drinks, how HK people all think the water is not safe. But it is.

"
Hong Kong enjoys one of the safest water supplies in the world. With the proper treatment and stringent quality monitoring and control, our water quality conforms chemically and bacteriologically to the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)."

http://www.wsd.gov.hk/en/water_resources/water_quality/water_quality_control/index.html

So funny, I was just having a conversation about this with my friend over drinks, how HK people all think the water is not safe. But it is.

"
Hong Kong enjoys one of the safest water supplies in the world. With the proper treatment and stringent quality monitoring and control, our water quality conforms chemically and bacteriologically to the Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO)."

http://www.wsd.gov.hk/en/water_resources/water_quality/water_quality_control/index.html

indeed it is palatable safe- you wont catch water born diseases here for sure. but its river water from holy CHINA so god knows what you cant filter out stays in - one thing they have in London (downstream of Thames) is hormones, as they are being excreeted out, and cannot be filtered out from the upstream.

very drinkable. I've never had any issues, whatsoever

indeed it is palatable safe- you wont catch water born diseases here for sure. but its river water from holy CHINA so god knows what you cant filter out stays in - one thing they have in London (downstream of Thames) is hormones, as they are being excreeted out, and cannot be filtered out from the upstream.

everything is overreacted to in HK, water supply included. none even batted an eyelid in london about the hormone thing

everything is overreacted to in HK, water supply included. none even batted an eyelid in london about the hormone thing

phol how many years have you been in london.
more than half of us who studies waters in civil engineering does make an wffort to buy a bottle of imported water - more so if you're a local.

if you think drinking all them metal ions are good for you then go ahead drink tap without boiling at home.
Whilst I'll just keep it as a level that would not greatly inconvenient myself

phol how many years have you been in london.
more than half of us who studies waters in civil engineering does make an wffort to buy a bottle of imported water - more so if you're a local.

if you think drinking all them metal ions are good for you then go ahead drink tap without boiling at home.
Whilst I'll just keep it as a level that would not greatly inconvenient myself


i lived in london for 5 years. regardless of what the health effects are - when the news broke noone cared.

boiling water doesnt have even the slightest effect on any hormones in it.
bottled water is dangerous as plastic releases hormone like chemicals into the water they contain.
distilled water is bad for you because it aggresively absorbs anything it touches, good or bad.
tap water is bad for you because it contains x, y and z.

do you see the pattern developing?

i lived in london for 5 years. regardless of what the health effects are - when the news broke noone cared.

boiling water doesnt have even the slightest effect on any hormones in it.
bottled water is dangerous as plastic releases hormone like chemicals into the water they contain.
distilled water is bad for you because it aggresively absorbs anything it touches, good or bad.
tap water is bad for you because it contains x, y and z.

do you see the pattern developing?

indeed. all is bad but not all are equally bad.