Can I Drink Tap Water in Argentina?
Caution
Quick Answer
Tap water in Argentina is a caution destination at country level. Many major urban areas have treated potable water, but regional variability and plumbing differences mean travelers should be selective and cautious.
Argentina has broad drinking water access, but tap-water safety is not uniform across the country. The World Bank API currently lacks a recent safely managed drinking water value for Argentina, and the latest basic drinking water series value returned is about 99.0% (2016). Major cities often have potable municipal water, while rural areas and some provinces may present greater contamination risk or infrastructure variability.
Water Quality Details
Argentina is too large and regionally diverse for a single tap-water rule. Urban centers such as Buenos Aires generally provide treated municipal water, but countrywide conditions vary due to groundwater chemistry, rural well dependence, local maintenance, and building plumbing quality. A well-known regional issue in parts of Argentina is naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater, which can affect long-term water safety where treatment is limited. Because the World Bank API does not currently return a recent safely managed drinking water estimate and the basic-access value is older in the available series, a cautious, traveler-focused recommendation is more defensible than a blanket safe rating.
Water sourceMixed sources
TreatmentChlorination, Filtration, Flocculation
HardnessModerate
TDS300 ppm
Taste rating3/5
Taste notesgenerally chlorinated in cities · mineral variation by region · older pipes can affect taste
Contaminant Data
Practical Tips
🧊 Avoid ice from tap
🪧 Use bottled for brushing
🍽 Avoid restaurant tap water
🔥 Boiling effective
💧 Filter recommended
- In major cities, ask locals or your hotel whether tap water is considered potable
- Use bottled or filtered water in rural areas and smaller towns
- Use bottled water for brushing teeth if the building plumbing is old
- Avoid ice in places with uncertain water source practices
- If staying long-term, use a filter and check local utility notices
Bottled water~$0.6 USD (Everywhere)
Recommended filtersActivated Carbon, Reverse Osmosis, Bottle Filter
Traveler Advice
Risk level: Moderate
Diarrhea risk: Moderate
Treat Argentina as a region-by-region decision. In reputable city hotels and homes, tap water may be fine; in rural areas, smaller towns, or buildings with uncertain plumbing, use bottled or properly filtered water. When in doubt, default to bottled water for drinking and dental hygiene.
Argentina is mixed: many urban systems are treated, but regional groundwater issues and plumbing differences make a blanket safe recommendation unreliable for all travelers.
- Major cities may have potable tap water, but use caution countrywide
- Use bottled or filtered water outside well-known urban hotels
- Use bottled water for brushing teeth if plumbing is old or uncertain
- Avoid ice in low-turnover venues
- Be cautious with rural well water and small towns
- Carry oral rehydration salts for travel days
Health Warnings
⚠ Health Warnings
- Regional groundwater contaminants (including arsenic in some areas) can be a concern
- Traveler diarrhea risk increases when relying on uncertain local tap water
Sources & References
Government
Official Report
Data confidence: Low
Last updated: 2026-02-23