Can you Drink the Water in Costa Rica?

Can you drink the water in Costa Rica? There is varying information on the internet about the potable water in Costa Rica.  I have lived here for 10 years and I have not met a single person who has ever had a problem with the drinking water. 

I drink the water every day right out of the faucet, make ice with it and wash my fruits and vegetables with tap water.  I have traveled all over the country and I have never felt the need to buy bottled water.

But like anywhere in the world, there are exceptions to the rule.

There have been examples of contaminated water from farm animals and even reports of Arsenic in some of the drinking water around the country.  These are very rare situations, but it has existed.  You have to understand that Costa Rica does not have a lot of money, so it is up to the individual neighborhoods to solve these issues themselves, and many of these rural communities do not have the resources to do it.

So my advice, like anything, is to ask the locals, “Can you drink the water in Costa Rica?”  They will tell you.  When traveling in very remote rural areas, or the poorer parts of the city, you should be cautious.

Here in the Papagayo at the beach:  Drink away!  But a good rule of thumb should be: if you have any concerns at all, buy bottled water.  It is very inexpensive.