Health and Healthcare

Countries With the Dirtiest Water

Riccardo Lennart Niels Mayer / Getty Images

Water quality has been an issue in the United States. One example is the ongoing problem in Flint, Michigan. From April 2014 to June 2016, the city’s water was extremely dangerous to drink. Much more recently, flooding in Jackson, Mississippi, has triggered a warning that drinking water there is risky. Residents were told to boil water before they use it.
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The quality of drinking water in a number of nations is also a problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention keeps reports about water quality in countries around the world.

The Family Vacation Guide uses the CDC data to create a list of countries with tap water that is dangerous to drink. The water may be OK for “locals,” according to the report. It is another matter for Americans who visit these places.

Almost all the dangerous water countries are in Asia, Africa and South America. Most of them are developing countries. However, the Bahamas, South Africa, Taiwan and Hong Kong make the list.


The analysis shows that water is “safe” in 53 countries and “unsafe” is 163. This leaves a large part of the world open to questions about whether Americans should visit them at all.


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