El Salvador maintains certain water quality standards through its National Water Authority (ANDA), but the reality of drinking tap water has changed over the years.
The Current Situation:
While El Salvador has regulatory frameworks for drinking water quality, contamination remains a known concern in many areas. The water system faces challenges in maintaining consistent safety standards nationwide.
From Past to Present:
- Years ago: Many people drank directly from the tap without concern
- Today: Though technically still drinkable in some urban areas like San Salvador, tap water no longer inspires much confidence among locals
Why the Shift?
Over time, infrastructure challenges, contamination risks, and inconsistent water quality have led to changing attitudes. Many Salvadorans now prefer to err on the side of caution.
The Modern Solution:
Most locals and visitors now opt for bottled water as their primary drinking source. It’s widely available, affordable, and provides peace of mind.
Travel Tip: When visiting El Salvador, stick to bottled water for drinking and use tap water only for washing and brushing teeth after boiling.
As an extra note, I consider bottled water in El Salvador to be reasonably priced. It can be bought in various places, including supermarkets. To give you an idea of the price of water in a supermarket, you can check here the prices from the supermarket with the most branches in the country.
