You Can’t Drink the Tap Water in Oaxaca – Here’s What to Do Instead
If you’re visiting Oaxaca and wondering whether the tap water is safe to drink – it isn’t. Visitors and locals alike drink purified or bottled water instead.
Having lived in Oaxaca for years, buying drinking water separately is simply part of everyday life here. You’ll see families, restaurants and businesses using large refillable water bottles called garrafones rather than drinking directly from the tap.
The good news is that drinking water in Oaxaca is cheap, easy to find and available almost everywhere. Here’s what you need to know, including whether tap water is safe for brushing your teeth, what about ice in restaurants, and how to buy drinking water without spending a fortune.
Is Tap Water Safe To Drink In Oaxaca?
No – stick to bottled or purified water for drinking in Oaxaca.
Water quality can vary, and issues with treatment, minerals and the distribution system mean it’s best to stick to bottled or purified water. Like most locals, I buy drinking water separately.
The good news is that it’s cheap and easy to find in supermarkets, OXXO convenience stores and local shops.
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Can You Brush Your Teeth With Tap Water in Oaxaca?
For most visitors, brushing your teeth with tap water is generally considered fine, provided you don’t swallow it. I brush my teeth with the tap water..
If you have a particularly sensitive stomach or would rather be cautious, use bottled or purified water instead. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks if it makes you more comfortable.
Can You Shower With Tap Water?
Yes, there’s no other option. Showering and washing with tap water are generally fine. Just avoid swallowing the water.
Is Ice Safe in Oaxaca?
Ice served by restaurants, cafés and bars is generally made using purified water. You don’t need to automatically avoid ice in your drinks.
If you’re unsure about a particular place, you can simply ask whether its ice is made from purified water. It will be.
Can You Cook With Tap Water?
If you’re staying in an apartment and cooking for yourself, use purified water for drinking and for food preparation where the water won’t be boiled or otherwise adequately treated.
Boiling water can make it safer, but if you’re visiting for a short time, buying purified water is the easiest and best option.
Where To Buy Drinking Water in Oaxaca
There are three main ways to get safe drinking water. The best option depends on how long you’re staying.
1. Garrafónes – 20-Litre Refillable Water Bottles
If you’re staying in Oaxaca longer term, this is worth knowing about.
A garrafón is a large, reusable 20-litre plastic water bottle. You buy one with water inside and then exchange the empty bottle for a full one when you need a refill.
There are two main options.
Brand-name garrafones
The best-known brands include Bonafont, Ciel and Epura. You can buy them at supermarkets, OXXO convenience stores and some local shops.
The first bottle costs around 150 pesos, including the water. After that, exchanges cost approximately $60 pesos.
The bottles are brand-specific, so you need to exchange a Bonafont bottle for another Bonafont bottle, for example.
Brand delivery trucks also travel through many residential neighbourhoods. You’ll often hear a distinctive jingle or someone calling out the brand name over a loudspeaker. Take your empty bottle to the door and exchange it for a full one.
Local filtered garrafones
These are the cheaper alternative and a common choice for everyday use in residential neighbourhoods.
Small corner shops and dedicated water-filtering businesses sell refillable bottles of locally filtered water, often for around $20–30 pesos per refill.
Some delivery workers also walk or drive through neighbourhoods calling out “¡Agua!” You can exchange your empty bottle at the door without making a trip to the shop.
For longer stays, this is generally the best-value option.
2. Smaller Bottles from Shops and Supermarkets
If you’re only visiting Oaxaca for a few days, buying smaller bottles is the simplest solution.
You’ll find purified drinking water in supermarkets, OXXO stores, convenience stores and small neighbourhood shops. Sizes range from individual bottles to larger 4- and 10-litre containers.
This costs more per litre than using a garrafón, but it’s convenient when you’re only staying briefly.
If you’re buying water regularly, larger containers are usually better value and create less plastic waste than repeatedly buying small bottles.
3. Drinking Water at Your Hotel Or AirBnB
Before buying water, check whether your accommodation already provides it.
Many hotels, guesthouses and holiday rentals supply garrafones or have filtered-water stations where guests can refill their bottles.
One More Thing Worth Knowing About Water in Oaxaca
Oaxaca City also has a serious water-shortage problem. Municipal water doesn’t arrive continuously in many neighbourhoods, and homes often rely on storage tanks, underground cisterns and private water deliveries.
This is a separate issue from drinking-water safety, but it helps explain why water storage and delivery are such a normal part of everyday life here.
I’ve explained how the system works in more detail here: Oaxaca Water Shortage: What Visitors Need to Know
