South America

Can you drink tap water in Colombia?

Capital: BogotaSpanishUpdated October 2026

Boil itFilter or boil

Can you drink the tap water in Colombia?

Tap water is treated, but filter or boil it. Safe from the tap in Bogotá and Medellín; drink bottled or filtered on the Caribbean coast, in small towns and rural areas.

Key facts

Safely managed drinking water: 74% of people (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP).

Tap water by place in Colombia

Place	Verdict	Notes
Medellín	Yes, drinkable	Medellín tap water from EPM is treated and safe to drink; many visitors still prefer filters in older buildings.
Cartagena	No, drink bottled	Drink bottled or filtered water, and ask for ice from purified water; tap is treated but often tastes poor and varies by pipe.
Bogotá	Yes, drinkable	Bogotá's tap water from Acueducto is treated and generally safe, though some visitors choose filtered water in older buildings.
Santa Marta	No, drink bottled	Drink bottled or filtered water; Santa Marta has had water supply and quality problems, and tap is not recommended.
Cali	Filter or boil	Tap water is treated by Emcali but locals and visitors often drink filtered or bottled water; avoid ice in small places.
Salento	Filter or boil	Salento's tap water is treated but most hostels recommend filtered or bottled water; ask your host.
Guatapé	Filter or boil	Tap water is treated but many visitors choose bottled or filtered; ask your hotel.
San Andrés	No, drink bottled	Island water supply is limited; use bottled or filtered water for drinking.
Minca	No, drink bottled	Use bottled or filtered water; many hostels sell filtered refills.
Palomino	No, drink bottled	Use bottled or filtered water; river water is not safe to drink.
Villa de Leyva	Filter or boil	Tap water is treated but locals recommend bottled or filtered; ask your hotel.
San Gil	Filter or boil	Tap water is treated but many prefer bottled; hostels often provide filtered water.
Jardín	Filter or boil	Tap water is treated but most visitors drink bottled or filtered; ask your host.
Barranquilla	Filter or boil	Tap water is treated but many locals use bottled or filtered; ask before drinking in older buildings.
Pereira	Filter or boil	Locals drink tap water in Pereira, but visitors may prefer filtered or bottled; drink bottled in surrounding rural areas.
Leticia	No, drink bottled	Don't drink the tap; use bottled or purified water. Ask for bottled ice in tourist spots.

Tap water by place

Sources

Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.