Can you drink the water in Bali? Tap, ice, teeth, boiling and the kids' bottles

Tap water, hotels and villas

The government advice does not distinguish between a five-star hotel and a homestay: the tap is the tap. Some resorts run their own filtration and say so, and if a hotel puts a sign on the basin saying the water is treated, that is the hotel's claim to make and yours to weigh; we cannot verify any particular property. The sealed bottle by the bed is what most of them provide because it settles the question.

Villas and most cafés run refill dispensers from 19-litre sealed gallons of treated water. That is what locals drink and it is the practical answer for a week: fill your own bottle from the dispenser, and skip the single-use plastic, which Bali's official dos-and-don'ts list for visitors also asks you to avoid. If the gallon arrived sealed, it is the same water as the small bottles.

Brushing your teeth

healthdirect includes teeth in its list, in so many words:

Where local tap water is not safe to drink, take these precautions: Only use bottled water to drink and brush your teeth. Don't put ice in your drinks. Only eat fruit you can peel. Avoid uncooked food, such as salads.

Keep a sealed bottle by the basin and use it for the brush and the rinse. Kids copy what they see, so do it visibly. A mouthful of tap water in the shower is not a catastrophe; the point is to keep it out of the routine rather than to panic about a splash.

The ice: the rule and the reality

healthdirect's line is don't put ice in your drinks, and that is the cautious end. Our guide, written by people who have spent a lot of time in Bali, gives the version regulars use:

The habits worth keeping, however adventurous you get: sealed bottled water, busy stalls with hot fresh food, and wash your hands. Be mindful with ice from places you don't trust. Reputable cafés and bars use factory ice.

Factory ice in Indonesia is made from treated water and delivered to venues in sealed bags; that is what the beach club, the busy café and the hotel bar are putting in your glass, and it is also what the fast-food chains people search about use. Ice chipped from a block on the pavement, or scooped from an open bucket at a roadside stall, is water you know nothing about. That is the distinction: the venue, not the ice.

We have not verified any specific outlet and will not name one as safe; the [dropped list](#sources) says so. The habit is the point: established places, factory ice; roadside bucket, no.

Boiled and filtered water

Yes, properly boiled tap water is fine to drink. The Victorian Department of Health says to boil tap water for at least five minutes before drinking it, and the same for making up formula. A villa kettle that clicks off at the boil has not done five minutes; use a pot.

Filtered water depends entirely on the filter, its maintenance and what it removes, none of which you can check in a rental. The sealed-gallon dispenser is a known quantity; a mystery filter under the sink is not. Bottled or dispenser water is the default; boiled is the backup.

Showers, pools and the sea

Showering in tap water is normal and what everyone does; the advice is about swallowing it, not standing under it. Pools and the sea are not on the government lists at all. The one route the sources describe is swallowing something contaminated, so the practical rule is the same as anywhere: mouth closed, and a rinse afterwards. Smartraveller does warn separately about rips and drownings at Bali's beaches, which is the bigger water risk by a distance; the health page covers it.

Babies, formula and kids' bottles

The Victorian fact sheet's rule for formula is bottled water or tap water thoroughly boiled for at least five minutes. For older kids, the sealed bottle rule for drinking and teeth, and a refillable bottle each from the villa dispenser so they are drinking more, not less, in the heat. healthdirect's guide for children over one is around 1 to 2 litres a day.

Children get dehydrated faster than adults when they are unwell, and a child who is not going to the toilet as often, or a baby with fewer wet nappies, is the early warning. Oral rehydration sachets from home go in the medical kit.

What happens if you drink the water

Probably nothing, and possibly Bali belly. Water contaminated with infected faeces is one of the two common routes for traveller's diarrhoea in the Victorian fact sheet, and the bugs it can carry are on the causes page. There is no way to know what was in a particular glass. A mouthful in the shower is not worth worrying about; a week of tap water is a bad bet.

If you do get ill, the what-to-do page has the self-care and the signs that mean a clinic. Most cases clear in a few days on fluids and plain food.