A question for world travelers

[DREDIOCK]

Those of you from other countries. or those of you who travel to other parts of the world alot might be able to answer this.

I was sitting there talking ot someone about drinking water and suddenly I it dawned on me.

When traveling to other parts of the world Americans are always warned not to drink the water.

Is the same warning given to people who come to the USA?


I personally try not to drink too much undiluted water.
Fish do gross things in it

[Hangtime]

I personally try not to drink too much undiluted water.
Fish do gross things in it

[Yossarian]

I've only ever read that in Phoenix, the tap water has higher than usual levels of cyanide I think, so you shouldn't drink it too much.  

However the USA has excellent infrastructure, so that shouldn't be a concern in most places.

In Europe, most places have safe drinking water.

<S>

Yossarian

EDIT:  Hangtime, wtf lol???

[Chalenge]

In the Philippines no one drinks water from anything other then a bottle. They often use rainwater for washing dishes after boiling or showering cold. It is one country where everyone knows the value of America and wishes they could one day live there. They want American anything. Even if the same product is on the shelves there if someone they know in American sends it to them they think it is better.

I have never heard anyone say American water is dangerous except American politicians. I would agree that lake water might not be too good. I think if you get water from a creek above the tree line your pretty safe. After that your imagination is probably more dangerous then any organism you might run into but if your worried about it stick to plastic bottles.

Diluted water can be a good thing.

[Dago]

The reality is drinking water in any place foreign to your system can cause a case of the trots.  It doesn't always have to be "bad" water, the fact is water from different areas has different bacteria in it.  Your system is used to the bacteria native to your local water, a different bacteria can cause issues without it necessarily being unhealthy water.  Certainly there are many places in the world where water treatment isn't what it should be and can be infected with parasites, so it is best to avoid drinking tap water in any third world nation, and sticking to bottled water in modern country while isn't necessary, is a precaution worth considering.

I do both, in countries I am comfortable with (England, Switzerland for example), I often drink tap water, but many countries I stick to bottled water.

I have suffered amoebic dysentery twice, hope never to do that again.

[SPKmes]

What is diluted water ?

[Reschke]

I will not drink much water in Mexico even if it is bottled. Chile is a different story but places in Europe like Germany and England I am ok with water there. I don't know about anywhere else since I haven't been there yet.

[gpwurzel]

Europe, America - safe to drink - far east - bottled(depending where you go), middle east - bottled, Africa - bottled, South America - bottled, Indian Subcontinent - bottled.

Gotta love having been in the Royal Navy...lol.......I've travelled a bit....


Wurzel

[DREDIOCK]

What is diluted water ?

If you dont know the answer to that then.
You have too much blood in your alcohol stream.

[majic]

What is diluted water ?

I believe that's how Canadians refer to our beer.  They may be right.

[DREDIOCK]

The reality is drinking water in any place foreign to your system can cause a case of the trots.  It doesn't always have to be "bad" water, the fact is water from different areas has different bacteria in it.  Your system is used to the bacteria native to your local water, a different bacteria can cause issues without it necessarily being unhealthy water.  Certainly there are many places in the world where water treatment isn't what it should be and can be infected with parasites, so it is best to avoid drinking tap water in any third world nation, and sticking to bottled water in modern country while isn't necessary, is a precaution worth considering.

I do both, in countries I am comfortable with (England, Switzerland for example), I often drink tap water, but many countries I stick to bottled water.

I have suffered amoebic dysentery twice, hope never to do that again.

Exactly why I askd the question.
I've always heard of people getting that warning fro anyone traveling outside the USA.
Was just curious if people from outside the USA traveling too the USA receive the same warning.

[Vulcan]

Exactly why I askd the question.
I've always heard of people getting that warning fro anyone traveling outside the USA.
Was just curious if people from outside the USA traveling too the USA receive the same warning.

yup, your water is foul by our standards: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waikoropupu

[AKIron]

yup, your water is foul by our standards: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waikoropupu

At least our sheep are pure. 

[Chalenge]

Yeah not to sure thats good enough Vulcan. Might want to stick to bottled water anyway.

http://www.mfe.govt.nz/state/reporting/enz07-questions-answers/freshwater.html

[cpxxx]

To answer the original question, no you're not warned about drinking the water in the USA. However I did find I didn't like the taste that much in the place I was visiting. Was warned against the beer though You can get bad water anywhere though. Galway city I live in now had an outbreak of cryptosporidium in the water last year. I got a dose of it and there was a boil notice for months. You couldn't even brush your teeth in it. Total bloody imcompetance on the part of the local authorities. I still don't trust it and now fllter it even though it's now safe. Indeed probably the safest in the country.

Coincidentally during the 'crisis', a TV movie set in an American city with a cryptosporidium outbreak was aired. It was unintentionally hilarious, even though quite a lot of it was technically correct. The usual dramatic twists and implausible scenarios. The best (worst) of which was a scene where a US army truck issuing bottled water was ransacked by a panicked crowd.  In reality the army wasn't needed. The shops simply ordered in thousands of gallons of bottled water. I saved money by filling up containers with tap water from my Mother's house in Dublin every time I visited. Their water comes straight off the Wicklow hills and is as good as any you'll buy in a bottle.