Is Belo Horizonte Tap Water Safe To Drink?

Yes, tap water is drinkable.

Tap Safe includes data from many publicly available sources, including the WHO (World Health Organization), CDC (Center for Disease Control), and user submitted databases, but unfortunately there's not enough data about Belo Horizonte.

To see user submitted ratings of the water quality for Brazil, see the "User Submitted Ratings" box on this page.

In the city of Horizonte, Brazil, Tap Water Belo Horizonte is treated in a way that is both safe and meets environmental requirements. The city is one of the twenty-three places on the planet that has specific laws for the quality of tap water. Tap Water Safety in Brazil is strictly governed by the Department of Environment, with each resident having a responsibility to protect the ecological balance of the environment. This means that anyone living within the city limits is expected to take responsibility for making sure that their tap water is both clean and pure.

This article will focus on the city of Horizonte Brazil, a Brazilian city located on the Taputira River, which forms the international border. This river has a low-clearness span and high sedimentation, which make it highly unsuitable for drinking water. Also, the Taputira River passes through the Amazonian rain forest and has copious amounts of man made contaminants that have polluted the river, makin

Tap water provided by COPASA (sole provider for the city) is regarded as fully potable (filtered, sterilized, PH controlled and fluoridated), but it is important to note that due to historical unreliability of water supply in Brazil, the vast majority of buildings have water tanks, so even if it is provided by COPASA, if you are unsure of the sanitary conditions of the building water tank, you should avoid drinking it before filtering, boiling or ozonizing it.
Even though bottled water in Brazil is labeled as “mineral water”, you should be careful and use good sense when buying it. Cases of tap water and untreated water being bottled and labeled as “mineral” are not uncommon. Always check the color of the water, the general aspect of the bottle and the seal. Some Brazilians are used to untreated water but it is very likely that tourists will have serious issues with it, including diarrhea, vomits, fever, headaches and muscular pain. It is usually safer to drink COPASA tap water then bootleg bottled water.Free healthcare is widely available, but waiting times may be long (even on minor emergencies), for non urgent cases go to the free “Posto de Saúde” near where you are staying (there are plenty all over the city). Private hospitals usually have faster service and better facilities and you can pay your treatment with either cash or with your insurance. Check with your insurance company the hospitals and clinics covered beforehand. If you have any allergies or known health problems, it is wise to learn some Portuguese words to describe it as it is very likely most of the hospital staff won’t speak English except for more qualified MDs, nurses and social workers. Although you might not see any initial difference, nurses are divided into “college nurses”, “technical nurses” and “auxiliary nurses”. You are more likely to find an English speaker amongst the college nurses (they are called Enfermeira or Enfermeiro and usually act as sector supervisors in a hospital).