Can I Drink Tap Water in Albania?
Caution
Quick Answer
Tap water in Albania is a caution destination. Quality can be acceptable in some urban areas, but travelers often choose bottled or filtered water because reliability varies by city, building, and season.
Albania has improved drinking water access, but tap water quality is still inconsistent enough that most travelers should use caution. World Bank 2024 estimates show about 70.8% of the population has safely managed drinking water services and about 95.1% has at least basic drinking water access. In practice, treatment quality and pipe conditions vary, especially outside major urban centers and in older buildings.
Water Quality Details
Albania's municipal systems generally use conventional treatment and chlorination, and many residents in larger cities do drink tap water. The main concern for visitors is not a single nationwide contaminant but inconsistent reliability: intermittent service, local maintenance issues, and aging internal plumbing can affect final tap quality even when utility output is treated. The World Bank's 2024 JMP-based indicators place Albania at roughly 70.8% safely managed and 95.1% basic drinking water coverage, which supports a mixed picture: broad access, but not uniformly high service quality. Travelers who want to minimize stomach risk usually rely on bottled water or verified filtration.
Water sourceMixed sources
TreatmentChlorination, Filtration, Flocculation
HardnessHard
TDS300 ppm
Taste rating3/5
Taste notesusually chlorinated · mineral taste in some regions · quality varies by building plumbing
Contaminant Data
Practical Tips
🧊 Avoid ice from tap
🪧 Use bottled for brushing
🍽 Avoid restaurant tap water
🔥 Boiling effective
💧 Filter recommended
- Use bottled or filtered water for drinking in most parts of Albania
- If staying in older buildings, avoid drinking directly from the tap
- Use bottled water for brushing teeth when you are unsure of plumbing quality
- Let chlorinated water stand briefly if taste is the only concern
- Avoid ice in lower-turnover bars or cafes
- Ask hosts whether water is from municipal supply or a private well
Bottled water~$0.45 USD (Everywhere)
Recommended filtersActivated Carbon, Reverse Osmosis, Bottle Filter
Traveler Advice
Risk level: Moderate
Diarrhea risk: Moderate
Albania is not a uniformly unsafe water destination, but it is also not consistently reliable enough for a blanket tap-water-safe recommendation. In Tirana and some newer accommodations, treated municipal water may be acceptable, yet bottled or properly filtered water remains the safer default for visitors, especially for drinking, brushing teeth, and preparing baby formula.
Some residents drink municipal tap water in major cities, but travelers may react to local microbes or old-building plumbing issues. Countrywide caution is more appropriate than a blanket safe rating.
- Prefer bottled or well-filtered water, especially outside major cities
- Use bottled water for brushing teeth if your accommodation plumbing is uncertain
- Avoid ice at low-turnover venues
- Be cautious with water from private wells and rural guesthouses
- Follow food and hand hygiene precautions
- Carry oral rehydration salts for stomach upset
Health Warnings
⚠ Health Warnings
- Traveler stomach illness risk is moderate when food/water precautions are not followed
- Rural and older building plumbing may increase contamination risk
Sources & References
Government
Data confidence: Medium
Last updated: 2026-02-23