Can You Drink Tap Water in Palau?

Tap water in Palau is treated and generally considered safe in Koror, the main town and hub of this Pacific island nation. Palau's water infrastructure, managed by the Palau Public Utilities Corporation, is among the more developed in Micronesia. Most residents in Koror drink tap water and quality is generally acceptable, though most visitors use bottled water as a default precaution.

Koror, the commercial centre and base for the vast majority of visitors, has consistent treated water supply. Hotels and dive resorts in Koror and on the nearby Malakal Island area provide bottled water for guests as standard. Palau is world-renowned as one of the planet's premier dive destinations — Jellyfish Lake, the Blue Corner, and German Channel are among the most celebrated dive sites on earth — and its dive infrastructure is sophisticated and well-maintained.

Babeldaob, the largest island and home to the new capital Ngerulmud, has infrastructure somewhat less developed than Koror. Bottled water is recommended on Babeldaob beyond the main town areas. The island's interior and its ancient stone monoliths — part of Palau's UNESCO-listed archaeological landscape — have no water infrastructure for visitors.

The outer islands of Palau's Rock Islands Southern Lagoon — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Pacific's most spectacular natural environments — are uninhabited. Day-trip and dive boats manage all water for guests. Kayaking visitors in the Rock Islands must carry all water from Koror as there is no freshwater available on the islands themselves.

Bottled water is available throughout Koror and at dive resorts. For Rock Islands kayaking and outer atoll expeditions, carry all water from Koror as no resupply is available in the field.