Believe it  or not  these are recomendations for  people from other countries about our water.                       

Do not drink tap water! 

Locals, even in the most rural areas, will either boil their water or purchase bottled water. Eating salads or other food that may be washed in tap water is not advisable. Ice is a bad idea as well, except in luxury hotels and restaurants (which produce ice from bottled water). If you plan on cooking or washing dishes for longer stays, it is a good idea to rinse everything with bottled or boiled water before use.

Don't drink the water.

Drinking local water in the Dominican Republic is a health hazard since it doesn't go through the same purification process as water from outside the country. Anyone from outside the area wouldn't be accumtomed to it, and the water can make you very sick. Although the Dominicans are generally able to drink the water without getting sick, it still leads to longterm health problems for them; the life expectancy for someone in the Dominican is only 50-60 years! I was told that the water problem was one of the many factors in their short average life span.Even if you are staying in a resort, try to make a habit of brushing your teeth with bottled water (even if it is bought in the Dominican) and just be careful when you're showering and bathing that you don't accidently swallow any. Several people I know have come down here, and found themselves in bed for days because of stomach cramps.

Is it safe to drink the water in the Dominican Republic?

Drinking purified bottled water is definitely recommended and is available everywhere in the Dominican Republic. Hotels and restaurants use purified water to clean and cook their food, and purified water is used to make all ice. It is not recommended that you drink tap water. For those with a sensitive stomach, it is not recommended to even use tap water to brush your teeth. The different microbes in the water in the Dominican Republic, compared to ones found in the water supply in other countries, may affect some people adversely.

The best way to protect yourself is to avoid local tap water and instead seek out bottled water; when that's not available, boiling tap water generally kills most micro-organisms, and there are a number of good water filters and purification tablets that can easily be stowed in your carry-on.

By Mirla Duran