Drinking tap water in India

No, tap water is usually not safe to drink in India. Households commonly buy large, office cooler type bottles of drinking water or have in-house filtration systems. So if it's a normal tap, then don't drink from it.

The exception is if the tap has a cooling or a filtration unit next to it. (I can't find a free image for this to include here.) These could be a small single unit with tubes leading to the tap, or for larger multi-tap units then the cooling compressor should be obvious to notice.

I just spent 7 weeks in India and while I did not drink the normal tap water, I did drink the water from the Drinking Water stations in railway stations or near temples. I also drunk the water served in restaurants. I did assume that this water while not coming from bottles has been through some sort of filtering system. I did this from day 1 and have had no health problems whatsoever.

Of course there is always a risk, but most people I spoke to who got sick in India did not drink the 'public water'.

Drinking tap water in India is not always safe, especially at railway stations. However the tap water available at most of the monuments is safe to drink. I advise you to drink bottled water in trains. At many places there is an arrangement for filtered tap water by Indian government. You can trust that water.

Drinking unfiltered water in India is the number one cause of illness for foreign (and local) travelers. Consumption of tap water in India, unfortunately, carries the risk of water borne diseases such as Dysentery and Typhoid. Even with bottled water, ensure that you purchase from a reputable outlet, and not from a street hawker, to avoid the risk of contamination. On the other hand, if the water is heated to a boiling point (as in the preparation of tea/coffee), it will be potable.

PS>> I haven't heard much about the SteriPEN, but even if you had it, I wouldn't trust implicitly.

I'd advise not to drink tapped water from public places. Water at railway stations/bus stations needs to be avoided. Coming to museums and places with monuments, it depends on the hygienic conditions at that place.

Thus, bottled water is advisable. In India we have places where you can get Rs.5000 worth shoes by Nike for Rs.500 by name nikee. Duplicate brands or parts of almost everything, can be found in India. Same applies to bottled water too. Watch out for duplicates or local made's like 'Aqaufeena'(Aqaufina-->Trustworthy brand),'Besleri'(Bisleri--->Trustworthy brand).

If you are in Mumbai where the municipal corporation supplies drinking water to you then it is probably the safest water you will get anywhere in India. If there are 2 different water supplies (one for sanitation and one for drinking and cooking) then it pretty safe to drink the tap water.