Is Tap Water Safe to Drink in Russia?

Moscow is served by Mosvodokanal with four treatment plants. St. Petersburg's Vodokanal draws 98% from the Neva River and UV-treats all supply. Most smaller cities have their own municipal vodokanals of varying capacity.

Roughly 30% of water pipelines need repair. Even well-treated water picks up heavy metals (iron, lead, manganese) from corroded pipes. Regional issues include high iron in central Russia, silicon and manganese in Siberia.

Moscow has the best infrastructure, with 64% of water undergoing advanced ozone and membrane filtration. St. Petersburg uses modern UV but old pipe networks cause discoloration. Siberia and the Far East show significant disparities.

Moscow roughly 95–285 mg/L (varies seasonally); St. Petersburg is generally soft from the Neva River..

No, only about 32% of Russians drink plain unfiltered tap water. About 35% boil, 15% filter, and the rest use bottled water.

• •Do not drink tap water without filtering or boiling, even in Moscow and St. Petersburg
• •Barrier and Aquaphor pitcher filters are widely available and affordable for longer stays
• •Tap water is generally safe for showering and brushing teeth in major cities

• •Always use bottled, boiled, or filtered water for drinking
• •Avoid ice in drinks unless confirmed made from purified water
• •In older buildings, let cold water run briefly to flush sediment