Europe
Can you drink tap water in Russia?
Boil itFilter or boil
Can you drink the tap water in Russia?
Tap water is treated, but filter or boil it. City water is treated but pipes are old; locals boil or filter it. Drink bottled water outside big cities.
Key facts
- Safely managed drinking water: 76% of people (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP).
Tap water by place in Russia
| Place | Verdict | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Moscow | Filter or boil | Treated but pipes are old; locals filter or boil. Drink bottled water when travelling. |
| Saint Petersburg | Filter or boil | Treated but pipes are old; locals filter or boil. Drink bottled water when travelling. |
| Kazan | Filter or boil | Treated but pipes are old; locals filter or boil. Drink bottled water when travelling. |
| Sochi | Filter or boil | Treated but pipes are old; locals filter or boil. Drink bottled water when travelling. |
| Kaliningrad | Filter or boil | Treated but pipes are old; locals filter or boil. Drink bottled water when travelling. |
| Irkutsk | Filter or boil | Treated but pipes are old; locals filter or boil. Drink bottled water when travelling. |
| Yekaterinburg | Filter or boil | Treated but pipes are old; locals filter or boil. Drink bottled water when travelling. |
| Vladivostok | Filter or boil | Treated but pipes are old; locals filter or boil. Drink bottled water when travelling. |
| Murmansk | Filter or boil | Treated but pipes are old; locals filter or boil. Drink bottled water when travelling. |
| Novosibirsk | Filter or boil | City water is treated but pipes are old; locals filter or boil it. Use bottled water for drinking if unsure. |
| Nizhny Novgorod | Filter or boil | Volga-sourced city water is treated but pipes are old; locals filter or boil it. Buy bottled water for drinking. |
| Olkhon Island | No, drink bottled | Wells and tanks vary; use bottled water or boil. Locals drink Baikal water, but boiling is wise. |
| Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky | Filter or boil | Treated but pipes are old; locals filter or boil it. Buy bottled water; mountain streams need treating. |
Tap water by place
Sources
- World Bank: safely managed drinking water
- US State Department travel advisory
- UK FCDO travel advice: Russia
- Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-Visa portal
- World Bank open data
Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.