🇦🇷 City — Argentina

Can I Drink Tap Water in Buenos Aires?

Caution
3.2/5
Quick Answer
Tap water in Buenos Aires is treated but best approached with caution for visitors. Many travelers prefer bottled or filtered water for drinking.
Tap water in Buenos Aires is treated to Argentina standards, but visitors should use caution. The supply is mainly a mix of surface and groundwater sources with chlorination, filtration, coagulation/flocculation, and water quality can vary by building or neighborhood. Many travelers choose bottled or filtered water for drinking.
Rankings & Comparisons
Safety Overview
Global rank #115 out of 152
Safety rating 3.2/5
Dataset average 3.8/5
Rank in Argentina #1 out of 1
Argentina average 3.2/5
Top Cities in Argentina
  1. 1 🇦🇷
    Buenos Aires
    3.2/5 Caution
Water Quality Details
Buenos Aires follows Argentina’s drinking water regulations, with supply primarily from a mix of surface and groundwater sources treated by chlorination, filtration, coagulation/flocculation. While treatment is in place, quality can vary at the building level due to storage tanks or older plumbing, and this can affect taste and consistency. Visitors are generally advised to use bottled or properly filtered water for drinking and to be cautious with ice. If you need to use tap water, boiling for at least one minute provides an extra safety margin.
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
Contaminant Measured Limit Status
Arsenic (regional groundwater hotspots) — 0.01 mg/L
WHO
 Exceeds
Nitrate (rural/private wells) — 50 mg/L
WHO
 Exceeds
Coliform bacteria (localized failures) — 0
WHO
 Exceeds
Lead (older household plumbing) — 0.01 mg/L
WHO
 Exceeds
Residual chlorine — — OK
Practical Tips
🧊 Avoid ice from tap 🪧 Use bottled for brushing 🍽 Avoid restaurant tap water 🔥 Boiling effective 💧 Filter recommended
  1. Use sealed bottled water for drinking and brushing teeth
  2. Avoid ice unless you know it was made with purified water
  3. Boil tap water for 1 minute if bottled water is unavailable
  4. Consider a bottle filter or UV purifier for day trips
  5. Stick to cooked foods from reputable vendors
  6. Ask restaurants if their water is filtered or treated
Bottled water~$0.6 USD (Everywhere)
Recommended filtersActivated Carbon, Reverse Osmosis, Bottle Filter
Traveler Advice
Risk level: Moderate Diarrhea risk: Moderate
In Buenos Aires, it’s best to use bottled or filtered water for drinking and brushing teeth, especially during short visits. Ice may be unsafe unless made with purified water. If you’re staying longer, consider a reliable filter or UV purifier.
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
  • Tap water can cause stomach upset for some visitors
  • Ice may be unsafe unless made from purified water
  • Young children and immunocompromised travelers should be extra cautious
Sources & References
Government
CDC Travelers Health - Argentina
Government
UK FCDO Foreign Travel Advice - Argentina (Health)
Official Report
World Bank API - Safely managed drinking water services (% of population) - Argentina
Official Report
World Bank API - Basic drinking water services (% of population) - Argentina
Data confidence: Low Last updated: 2026-02-24