I am going to be staying in northern India for some time this summer and I'm not sure about the quality of the water. Should I bring a portable filter? I know most of the country is probably fine but I wasn't sure about the general conditions and if hotels commonly use city water or well water.
Water supplied through pipelines is not fit for drinking if thats what you meant to ask. I have a RO (reverse osmosis) system at home for drinking water and that is what every one I know uses. Water filters without RO are not going to be much help as they don't remove heavy metals besides some other things. I would recommend buying a RO system or using bottled water if your duration of stay does not justify buying a RO filter system which would cost you between Rs8000-12000 depending upon the brand you go for.
Thank you thats exactly what I needed to know! Me and my family use RO in our own house it just isn't very portable haha. I will plan on using bottled water for the duration of the stay.
If you are travelling a lot it's best to use bottled water or filters, since the groundwater tastes different in different places due to changes in the water salt concentration and composition. This can be very disconcerting for travelers and is certainly not good for health.
Bottled water is the best bet and I believe you can get it easily wherever you go. In fact, you can get bottled water in all hotels, airports and railway stations because even the locals carry them, just to be safe. The tap water available in the country is not fit for drinking.
I would go for the bottled water as well. It's probably a lot safer than drinking anything that comes out of the tap. If you come from a different country, your body is not used to what is in the water. There are always warnings about drinking and eating foods that are cleaned with water in other countries.
I don't think it is a bad idea. I would take it, and use it as a backup. Mostly, I would drink bottled water. But a purifier or boiling should be fine to cover most needs.
I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. While it may be convenient, there are lots of bottled water that are available at every corners of India. But yes, I definitely recommend that you stay away from the tap water or well water in any parts of India. I was so paranoid at one point when I first arrived that I actually brushed my teeth with bottled water. My better half still makes fun of me because of that up till today.
I'd advise purchasing bottled water as well instead of using a filter. The water in a lot of areas is not fit to drink, filtered or not. It would take A LOT of filtering to make it worth drinking, and that's a lot of spare time and money.
I would definitely avoid drinking the tap water in India, if you're caught out and unable to buy bottled water for any reason, the tap water should be fairly safe if you boil it vigorously for at least 3-5 minutes, any quicker and you might as well not bother, it takes that long to entirely cleanse water of germs, however it still will not remove any chemical toxins in the water.
The thing is, you do not want to get sick. It is possible to take a risk and be lucky, but if you do get sick, you will be out for days, and could even wind up in a hospital. It is a burden, but it is better to be safe and have a fun trip than be doubled over in pain. Don't forget, you can also use purification tablets, which are cheap. Those might be better than a purifier, since you could drop one in to any bottled water if you think it is suspect.
Keep off tap water completely, even when it is filtered. Contaminants have been known to get through so don't risk it. Don't even think of ice, salads and fruit juices sold in the streets, You never know what kind of water was used to prepare the refreshments.
It is sad that even in the US, this is becoming a problem. I have never been a fan of factory farms and industrial agriculture, but new technologies are needed to cut down on contamination. More money needs to be spent on infrastructure in general. Hopefully, this will create solutions for developing areas like in India.
This is a very interesting question. Is water officially not suited for drinking or is it just people reaction on the smell, colour, etc.. I have been living on Malta for some period in the past and usually people there buy water because it really tastes awful and not everybody is able to cope with that. However, i have been talking with some people from the government of Malta and I read it on the official site of water sullies of Malta and I also confirmed with some native Maltese people, the water is actually suitable for drinking in a sense bacteria free content. It does smell and tastes funny but that is because of purification process. I believe they do not have a lot of fresh water so they take it from the ocean and do something with it. I am really not an expert but it is safe to drink it. Nevertheless, most of the people, tourists especially, buy bottled water.
