Peter

We are from Perth, will be visiting Las Vegas, San Diego, LA and San Francisco. Would like to check whether it is safe to drink water straight from the taps in the above places, e.g. at places of interest, hotels and train stations. Appreciate some advice.

traveler

Hello Peter

Welcome to the US. Yes, the water is perfectly safe to drink in the places you mentioned. You may want bottled water on the plane, though.

Cal

You have picked some great places to visit. The only reason that you may want to drink bottled water would be because of the taste. The tap water is not too tasty in some places. However the water is perfectly safe to drink.

Bob Brown

Hi Peter. The water is safe enough, but sometimes the amount of chlorine used to treat it can be objectionable to some people. You might consider investing in a straw-like filter to use. It is cheaper over time than constantly buying bottles of water in the stores and they are quite effective in filtering out the evil spirits.
We even use a Brita (TM) filter here at home because of the high level of chlorination. Nothing wrong with the water from a health point of view, but the taste is better after we filter it.
One thing you might consider is that changes in the water often contribute to gastric upset, so the use of a filter has many advantages until your insides adjust to the local supply. I don't think you need one that filters out viruses and bacteria unless you are going into the backcountry somewhere.

Emily

Tap water in S.F. is very delicous. But the tap water in Southern California will taste very nasty to you (it has to be shipped in from far away and treated and processed.) However, all are very safe to drink.

Peter

Thanks mates for all your advices, will certainly help my family to plan for this holiday.

Patrick

to Emily: Isn't it funny how we perceive things differently. After growing up on good old well water in Ohio and satisfied with tapwater in Florida where I now live,(although all my friends think it tastes nasty), the only place I hate the tap water in California is San Francisco -- I think it tastes funny, so always buy bottled water there. But I think the tap water in LA and San Diego are perfectly fine. Go figure!! By the way, I also hate to drink carbonated bottled water --it always tastes salty or acidic to me, maybe that has something to do with my dislike of some tap waters.

Emily

There's only one way to settle this question. Peter, your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to spend most of your vacation drinking out of the taps. Then, on your return, your family can give us the definitive answer -- which west coast city has the absolute worst drinking water! (I still cast my vote for my own home town -- San Diego; but Patrick is probably right, it's all a matter of perception.)

kam

Peter, you will see the inhabitants of California drinking bottled water which they carry around with them wherever they may go. I'm sorry that I have to admit to this habit. It's not because the tap water is unsafe to drink, it's because it BECAME A CALIFORNIA THING a while back and now all of us are hooked on our particular brand of water. My fav is Crystal Geyser, so if you feel the need, try it. Otherwise, the tap water all over the U.S. is perfectly fine to drink, although as others have said, sometimes different cities' taste differently and might not appeal to you. BTW, the water in Buenos Aires tastes like chlorine to me, but it's perfectly safe to drink! Cheers!