Water Safety in Egypt

1 min read

Written bynmartinon 29 September 2009

The government claims the tap water is safe; however, every recommends that you do NOT drink it. It is best to either: use a reverse osmosis water tap or buy bottled water. It is safe to drink water that has been boiled. I do use the tap water to brush my teeth; however, some people don't. Water can be delivered from a variety of companies and grocery stores. It is best to keep additional drinking water in your house at all times.

In the kitchen it is best to boil water before cooking with it. Also, all produce needs to be properly washed. I recommend using a gallon of tap water with a table spoon of bleach. Soak produce for 10 to 15 minutes (use less time for delicate items like herbs or berries). Air dry all produce before storing.

There are frequent water shot offs in Cairo. Usually they last only a few hours, but can last longer. I recommend that you save used water bottles and fill them with tap water. Save a reserve of tap water for washing in case your water is shut off.

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Comments

mebryant111 years ago(Modified)
Super helpful- thanks!

KJ201214 years ago(Modified)
Melanie21... Nestle (call 19800)delivers the big jugs for water coolers, not sure about smaller bottles. they also sell water coolers. But you can also get cases of water delivered from the grocery store.

Melanie2114 years ago(Modified)
Can you tell me which Companies deliver water? I can't find one!

TimmyUK14 years ago(Modified)
i would never ever ever use bleach for any kind of food cleansing :s

dahabdabbler16 years ago(Modified)
There's enough plastic trash to deal with in Egypt so the advice to buy a filter for your kitchen tap (instead of bottled water) is a great one! One example: http://globewellegypt.com/newstyle.htm If you prefer not to use chemicals like bleach, try vinegar. "Add 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar to 1 pint water and use to wash fresh fruits and vegetables, then rinse thoroughly. Research has shown that vinegar helps kill bacteria on fruits and vegetables."