Safe to drink. Based on the national picture for Israel and local conditions.
Can you…
Can you drink the tap water in Jerusalem?
Last reviewed 2026 · Israel
Jerusalem scores 88/100 for tap-water safety — safe to drink. So if you’re asking whether the tap water is safe in Jerusalem, the short answer is “safe to drink.” Scores above 70 mean tap water is generally safe to drink. 40–69 means treat it with caution — filtering or bottled water is wise. Below 40 means it’s best avoided straight from the tap.
Ice, brushing your teeth & cooking: what’s safe in Jerusalem?
- Drinkable?
- Yes — tap water is safe to drink straight from the faucet.
- Brush teeth?
- Yes — brushing your teeth with tap water is perfectly fine.
- Ice?
- Yes — ice made from tap water is safe.
- Cooking?
- Yes — cooking and rinsing produce with tap water is safe.
Should you boil the tap water in Jerusalem?
You don't need to boil the tap water in Jerusalem — it's treated to a high standard and safe to drink as-is. Boiling only matters if you're on a private well or during a local boil-water advisory. More on what boiling does and doesn’t remove.
Do you need bottled water or a filter in Jerusalem?
Bottled water is a preference, not a necessity, in Jerusalem — the tap water is safe and far cheaper. A refillable bottle is the greener, cheaper choice.
A filter isn't needed for safety in Jerusalem; some people use a simple carbon filter purely to improve taste or reduce chlorine smell.
How Jerusalem compares to the rest of Israel
There’s no separate official water-quality feed for Jerusalem, so its rating tracks the national picture for Israel, which scores 88/100. Conditions in a specific neighbourhood, hotel, or older building can still differ from the city as a whole.
Common questions about tap water in Jerusalem
Can you drink tap water in Jerusalem?+
Jerusalem scores 88/100 on our water-safety index — safe to drink. Yes — tap water is safe to drink straight from the faucet.
Is it safe to brush your teeth with tap water in Jerusalem?+
Yes — brushing your teeth with tap water is perfectly fine.
Is ice safe to use in drinks in Jerusalem?+
Yes — ice made from tap water is safe.
Is tap water in Jerusalem safe for cooking?+
Yes — cooking and rinsing produce with tap water is safe.
Data & sources
City-level tap-water safety isn’t published as a single official global dataset, so the Jerusalem score is derived from Israel’s national water-safety assessment together with CDC traveler guidance. For the full country picture and its official sources, see tap water in Israel.
Read the full methodology — how the 0–100 score is built and what it does (and doesn’t) mean.