This is a big issue with Shanghai's population. Most homes use commercially-bought water. Seeing the water quality you can start to fathom why there are strong opinions about Shanghai's water.

The photo on the left is an extreme example of what you can find coming out of your apartment's pipes. Usually the water we get in our apartment is clear, or might have a slight tinge of yellow.

Now before you faint or swear not to bathe on your next visit to Shanghai, normally the water from our taps isn't this dark. This was a result of a water shutdown in our building for a period of 3 hours. So this is what happens when there's no flow through the system. There's no way I'd drink water of this quality & I steadfastly recommend not drinking it.

Linda hasn't brushed her teeth with Shanghai water for quite a while now, and well, I'm thinking of following suit after seeing this.

There's a lot of hearsay regarding the state of Shanghai's water system, and in particular when it will be 'fixed'. I'm not 100% sure what the story is. But from what I've been able to discern, a lot of Shanghai's drinking water problems comes from its distribution system, not the processing of water itself. Old pipes, poor planning, constant construction, & a growing population all puts a big strain on the city, and I think it shows in Shanghai's water system. According to the Shanghai City Government, by 2010 all this will be sorted out and you'll be able to drink water coming out of the tap.

So for the moment you're faced with using bought water for cooking, drinking and cleaning your teeth, purchasing a home filtration unit for your domestic needs, or if you're feeling lucky - running the gauntlet.

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