Can You Drink Tap Water in Paraguay?

Tap water in Paraguay is unsafe for drinking and should be avoided by tourists throughout the country including Asunción, Ciudad del Este, and Encarnación. Water treatment infrastructure is limited and distribution systems are compromised by aging pipes, contamination, and inadequate maintenance. Most Paraguayans do not drink tap water and rely on bottled water, filtered water, or boiled water. In Asunción, the capital, water is treated by ESSAP (Empresa de Servicios Sanitarios del Paraguay) but quality is inconsistent and contamination is common.

Infrastructure challenges include intermittent water supply with many neighborhoods receiving water only certain hours or days. When pipes are empty, contamination can enter the system. Hotels in tourist areas provide bottled or filtered water, but tap water should not be consumed. In Ciudad del Este, Paraguay's second-largest city on the border with Brazil and Argentina, water infrastructure is poor and tap water is consistently unsafe despite the city's commercial importance.

The Iguazú Falls area on the Paraguayan side has limited water treatment. In Encarnación on the border with Argentina, water treatment exists but is unreliable. Tourists should use bottled water throughout their stay. The Chaco region and rural areas of Paraguay have minimal or no water treatment infrastructure.

Indigenous communities and remote areas rely on untreated wells or rivers. Paraguay experiences waterborne disease outbreaks including typhoid, hepatitis A, and traveler's diarrhea. Contamination risks increase during rainy season when flooding can overwhelm limited sewage systems. The country's water infrastructure lags behind neighboring Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.

Use bottled water for all drinking, brushing teeth, and washing produce. Most restaurants in Asunción use filtered water for drinks and ice, but verify in smaller establishments.