Barriers

Our Data

Drinking tap water abroad can be very dangerous as many countries’ water is contaminated due to sewage overflows, pesticides, and wildlife. The illnesses you can contract from polluted water include cholera and typhoid. Up to 60 percent of people traveling develop a mild disease from infected water and often don’t realize the illness is because of their trip, as lots of sicknesses don’t cause people to fall ill until they get home. It is common for travelers to be unaware that they have drunk unsafe water because the water often doesn’t appear contaminated, but actually can contain significant levels of harmful bacteria. In Asia, 42 out of 48 countries’ tap water is unsafe to drink, along with most of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean also have unsafe drinking water. In these countries it is normal for people to buy bottled water, but bottled water creates a lot of waste and is annoying to carry around because it is not refillable and you have to bring many along with you. It is also common for street vendors to take old water bottles and refill them with tap water.