Some people have asked me recently whether it is safe to drink tap water in Seoul.
The answer is... Yes!!
Tap water in Seoul is called Arisu.
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It goes through a sophisticated process to provide clean and drinkable water to each homes as below.
(It's in Korean, but you can see it goes through many steps to provide safe water.)
According to the Office of Waterworks Seoul Metropolitan Government, the followings are the merits of Arisu.
- Arisu is a weakly alkaline, healthful drinking water.
- At the cost of KRW 0.51 per liter, Arisu is cheaper than bottled spring water by around 2,000 times.
- It is convenient to drink fresh Arisu straight from the tap.
- Arisu is environment-friendly since it involves little carbon dioxide emission associated with the use of filters and electricity and through transportation.
- Arisu is safe drinking water that has passed internationally certified water quality inspection.
- You can check the quality of Arisu in your neighborhood in real time through the Internet or using a mobile phone.
- You can have the quality of Arisu in your home checked by simply making a phone call.
However, most Koreans don’t drink tap water.
Even if the water itself is clean, we have doubts about the pipes that deliver this clean water to each homes and other reasons.
So we usually drink filtered water, bottled water or from a water dispenser.
All these can easily be found anywhere in Korea (at stores, restaurants, hotels and etc.).
While writing this post, I went to the kitchen and drank a cup of tap water.
It’s okay!
If you are a tourist and your stomach is sensitive, drink bottled or filtered water just to be safe!
If you wish to know more about Arisu, check out the homepage below. It's in English!
http://arisu.seoul.go.kr/sudo_eng/index.jsp
The water quality varies by tap, and particularly by network. It won't make you sick, but it is the long term effects that are concerning. I bought myself a countertop filter and 2 year2 worth of cartriges for just under 240 dollars. 10 dollars a month or even less if it lasts longer and I don't see why it won't.
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If you go to the Arisu homepage, they explain that Arisu can be better than bottled or filterd water in some cases. They say that some filters filter even the good minerals dissolved in the water. Also, for bottled waters, if you don't drink immediately after opening the bottle, there is a chance that bacterias will start to grow.
But personally, I would feel safer drinking filtered Arisu water as well.
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