Is Quito 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 Quito.

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

The tap water in Quito, Ecuador, is safe to drink. Tap water supply is technically potable, although, with old pipes, its quality is somewhat questionable. The water can get contaminated on its way to your tap. Chlorine is used to treat tap water. For tourists traveling to Quito, we recommend drinking bottled water to prevent getting an upset stomach. The tap is safe for cooking and brushing your teeth. Some locals still boil water even though much of it is drinkable.

The 2008 Constitution of Ecuador advocates for the preservations of nature and the human right to clean water. A former official at the water public utility EPMAPS, claims that guaranteeing the human right to water is not only about providing a service but also about mainstreaming environmental, social, financial, and political sustainability into the company’s activities.

Source of Water in Quito, Ecuador

The water in Quito comes from surface water and about half of that comes from the inter-basin transfer. All the watersheds that supply drinking water to the city originate in Neotropical alpine grasslands known as paramos, which regulate flow and protect water quality.

Quito’s officials have recognized the importance of the grasslands that surround the city, and have commissioned the Quito water company, specifically, to investigate creative, forward-thinking ways to protect all sources of drinking water. In 2000, Quito founded the first water fund in Latin America. Water funds are innovative ways to finance the protection and restoration of natural areas such as forests and grasslands that are sources of clean water for millions of people.

The Quito Water Fund began with an investment of $21,000 and has risen to $12.8 million in just a decade. Every year, approximately $1.5 million from Quito Water Fund is invested in grasslands protection and restoration in the watersheds that supply Quito’s more than 2 million residents with clean water. But even with a reliable revenue stream from conservation in place, successful watershed management requires constant vigilance. Their analysis suggests that restoring riparian buffers on less than 1,000 hectares of stream banks would measurably reduce (-10%) the sediment yield in Quito’s water sources.

Other links:

• Do’s and Don’ts for Survival in Quito
• Food and water safety in Quito