Can You Drink Tap Water in Tanzania?

Tap water in Tanzania is unsafe for drinking and should be completely avoided by tourists throughout the country including Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Arusha, and safari regions. Tanzania's water infrastructure is severely limited with inadequate treatment facilities and widespread contamination. Most Tanzanians do not drink tap water and rely exclusively on bottled water or boiled water. In Dar es Salaam, the largest city and commercial capital, tap water is unsafe despite some treatment efforts.

Infrastructure challenges including aging pipes, intermittent supply, and inadequate maintenance create severe contamination. Hotels provide bottled or filtered water which is essential. In Zanzibar including Stone Town and beach resorts, water infrastructure is limited and tap water is unsafe. The island relies on limited groundwater, desalination, and water brought from the mainland.

All accommodations provide bottled water which must be used for drinking and brushing teeth. In Arusha, the safari gateway town, tap water is unsafe. Hotels and lodges provide bottled water which is essential before embarking on safari. Safari lodges in Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire, and all national parks provide bottled or heavily filtered water due to remote locations. Never consume tap water even in luxury safari camps.

Mount Kilimanjaro trekking requires bringing sufficient bottled water or using high-quality filters for stream water at high altitudes. In Mwanza, Lake Victoria region, and western Tanzania, water infrastructure is minimal and tap water is extremely unsafe. Lake Victoria pollution affects water sources. Throughout Tanzania including southern circuit parks and all regions, tap water should be avoided completely.

Tanzania experiences frequent waterborne disease outbreaks including cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A, schistosomiasis (from lakes), and severe diarrheal diseases. Use bottled water exclusively for all drinking, brushing teeth, and washing produce.