Is the Water Safe to Drink in Samoa?

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Is it Easy to Access Safe Drinking Water in Samoa?

Safe drinking water is not as easy to access in Samoa as it is in more developed countries. If visitors don’t take their own precautions, like using purification bottles, boiling the water or using purification tablets, then they tend to only have their resort’s filtered drinking water and bottled water to rely on.

Filtered Water at Your Resort

Some resorts and upmarket accommodations in Samoa have effective filtration systems so that their guests can either drink the tap water or fill up water bottles at a filtered water station. You should always ask if you are unsure about drinking the water.

Bottled Water in Samoa

Bottled water is easily accessible at local supermarkets and convenience stores in Samoa. Convenience stores can be found in almost all coastal villages, so buying bottled water is often the only opportunity to access safe drinking water when you’re out and about (unless you follow some of the tips below). Make sure to dispose of your plastic waste responsibly after use and reuse it if possible.

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Is the Water Treated in Samoa?

Around 85% of the population in Samoa has access to water from water treatment plants run by the Samoa Water Authority. Around 18% of the population, mainly in rural areas, rely on independent water schemes. The treatment facilities for water in Samoa are rather basic compared to more developed countries, so visitors to Samoa should take precautions before drinking tap water.

Drinking Tap Water in Samoa

Although most locals are generally fine to drink it, there may be higher concentrations or unfamiliar strains of bacteria, like E.coli, present in the water. It’s unlikely that visitors will have built up an immunity to particular bacterial strains, which can cause traveller’s diarrhoea. That’s why it is generally advised for visitors to treat the tap water in Samoa before drinking it, even if the locals are drinking it.

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The Best Ways to Make Sure Water is Safe to Drink

As we’ve established, treating drinking water in Samoa is a good idea for travellers. We understand, however, that there are some challenges when it comes to making sure water is safe to drink, like having access to facilities to boil water or even the environmental implications of buying bottled water. That’s why we have prepared a few ways to purify water so you can put that in your knowledge bank for any tropical adventure!

Boil the Water

Bringing the water to a boil for 10 minutes is probably the best-known method of purifying water. It kills parasites, bacteria and even viruses and ensures that it is fully safe to drink. Plus, it is the cheapest water purifying method out there. Note that boiling water in a kettle won’t effectively kill bacteria; water must be boiled for several minutes.

If you want to ensure you can use this method to treat water, check out accommodations with kitchen facilities in the 10 Best Self-Catering Accommodations in Samoa and 10 Best Holiday Homes in Samoa.

Use Water Purification Tablets

Use your own water bottle, drop a water purifying tablet and “voila!” This method has been trialled and tested for years and despite the fact that it gives a bit of a weird taste to the water, it is widely used by travellers around the globe.

If the taste is an issue for you, try a water-purifying solution. Although a bit more expensive, it offers better taste and water clarity than tablets. Price-wise, this is still going to save you tens of dollars compared to buying bottled water all trip long.

Buy a Water-Purifying Water Bottle

By far our favourite solution of them all, water-purifying bottles like the Lifestraw Bottle removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria and 99.9% of waterborne protozoan. That means that there is no boiling necessary and that you can fill up your water bottle from any tap in Samoa and know that you have a filtration system with you. Although they are not the cheapest option, once the initial purchase is done, all you have to do is to replace the filtration cartridge when it expires.

Although there are alternative brands to Lifestraw, this is just the one that the SamoaPocketGuide.com team use when travelling the Pacific, so we can recommend it with confidence. When looking for alternatives, make sure to search for “water-purifying” and not “water-filtration” as filtration only improves the taste of the water.

For more handy things to pack for Samoa, check out What to Pack for Samoa: A Full Samoa Packing List.