With more than 30 years’ experience in the residential and commercial water treatment space, Mark Nelson is a Class 1 Drinking-Water Operator and a CBWA (Canadian Bottled Water Association) Certified Plant Operator. As founder and president of Nelson Water in Ottawa, Mark focuses on dealing with challenging water treatment system designs for problem water. He also heads the largest water bottling plant in the city of Ottawa with a delivery network throughout the Valley.

We take our water quality for granted here, and many other parts of the world have water that should be avoided. Most of the water delivered to the faucet in Canada is at a very basic level, clean and safe to drink. Many people choose to have additional protection in place to deal with a wide variety of contaminants. But, in certain parts of the world, it’s advisable to stick to sealed bottled water for drinking to avoid a nasty illness that could spoil your trip. Let’s take a look at the five best and worst countries for clean drinking water (in no particular order).

The 5 Best Drinking Water Nations

  1. Canada

As you would expect, Canada has an extremely rigorous water filtration system for its fairly low population density. A glass of water directly from the tap in Canada has a pure taste, and the low level of demand means the water treatment system can easily provide adequate supplies of drinking water to the populace. The clearest water in Canada is supplied from the Moraine Lake, and even this pure natural water is comparable to the regular tap water supplied to each home.

  1. Norway

As a whole, drinking water in Scandinavia is very clean and safe to drink. This is thanks in part to the excellent geography with plenty of rock to filter the water and an adequate amount of rainfall to replenish supplies. Norway also has excellent water treatment plants that are the equal or anywhere else in the world. In fact, one of Norway’s most popular exports is “Voss” which is a bottled water that is sold in its untreated and unfiltered state. So, if you enjoy drinking crystal clear and delicious water on your next trip, maybe visiting Norway should be on your bucket list.

  1. Latvia

Latvia is a popular destination, and it’s famed for its beautiful scenery and pristine beaches. The drinking water is regularly monitored and tested at every stage of its journey to the tap. The water quality levels are so good that you can drink the water directly from the tap with no issues. The Latvian government takes water quality seriously, and they are dedicated to providing purified water to every resident and visitor.

  1. Denmark

Denmark has been named as one of the happiest countries in the world, and perhaps the excellent quality of the drinking water is one of the contributing factors. The potable drinking water in Denmark is considered to be of such high quality that it surpasses virtually every type of bottled drinking water in quality and taste. In fact, you can visit any cafe or restaurant in Denmark, and they will serve you tap water over bottled water without a hint of irony.

  1. New Zealand

Thanks to the Lord of the Rings movies we all have a pretty good idea what the terrain in New Zealand looks like. There are many mountains, glaciers and ample rainfall to provide plenty of exceptionally clean water for residents and visitors. The demands on this pure water are very limited, the population density is quite low, and it’s true that there are more sheep than people in the country. Drinking the water directly from the tap is safe, and the taste is delicious.

The 5 Worst Drinking Water Nations

  1. Pakistan

Pakistan has a large gap between the rich, and the poor segments of the population and access to basic hygiene standards is pretty scarce throughout the entire nation. Approximately 35% of the population does not have access to safe drinking water, and many bottled water varieties are unsafe for human consumption. Independent testing of Pakistani bottled drinking water has discovered contaminants, such as arsenic, heavy metals, and a variety of harmful organisms. If you need to travel to Pakistan, use water purification tablets (even in hotels) and boil water if you’re stuck without adequate water treatment solutions that you can rely on. Drinking water directly from the tap in Pakistan should be avoided at all costs.

  1. Turkey

Every major city in Turkey has a water filtration plant to clean the water, but the results are a bit of a hit and miss. The drinking water in Istanbul is not considered to be toxic, but other areas are best avoided if you want to stay safe. This goes for drinking water in hotels, the ice cubes supplied for your drinks and drinking from a tap at other locations. Turkey has poor water infrastructure that requires significant investment to bring the water quality up to acceptable standards. The pipes are antiquated, they have failed in many areas, and this has allowed pathogens and other contaminants to enter the water supply. If you visit Turkey, stick to bottled drinking water for the duration of your visit.

  1. India

Despite being one of the most prosperous countries in the world, India has water of an extremely poor quality. The ever expanding population has placed considerable strain on the already sub par infrastructure of the country. Many basic hygiene standards are not followed, and contamination of water supplies from raw sewage and other sources can result in some nasty illnesses and diseases. If you visit India, you need to stay hydrated by drinking bottled water only, boiled teas or freshly cut coconut.

  1. Mexico

The water pipes and water treatment facilities in Mexico are outdated, and many parts of the country have poor quality drinking water. The tap water supplied to most homes is not purified to an acceptable standard, and the aging water pipes are compromised. This allows contaminants to enter the water supply through gaps and cracks in the pipes. Approximately three quarters of Mexican citizens consume their water from bottles, and this is why the country is one of the top consumers of bottled drinking water per capita in the world.

  1. Venezuela

The potable water in Venezuela is polluted, and it comes out of the faucet as a murky brown cloudy substance that you should not drink. Even the bottled water supplied in Venezuela is of poor quality, and there is a shortage of better quality bottled water. If you need to visit the country, take iodine and water purification tablets to treat the bottled water and avoid using the tap water altogether.

Contact your local water treatment company for best solution for your household.