Is the Water Safe to Drink in American Samoa?

Safe drinking water is not as easy to access in American Samoa as it is in more developed countries. There are no filtered drinking water stations to refill water bottles, and accommodations provide drinking water by merely leaving a couple of water bottles in your room on the first night.

If visitors don't take their own precautions, like using purification bottles, boiling the water or using purification tablets, then they tend to only have bottled water to rely on.

Bottled Water in American Samoa

Bottled water is easily accessible at local supermarkets and convenience stores in American Samoa. Convenience stores can be found across Pago Pago and in almost all villages, so buying bottled water is often the only opportunity to access safe drinking water when you're out and about (unless you follow some of the tips below).

Make sure to dispose of your plastic waste responsibly after use and reuse it whenever possible.

The public water supply, managed by the American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA), relies almost entirely on local groundwater pumped from wells. Basic treatment processes like chlorination and sediment filters are used. However, the system is susceptible to contamination, saltwater intrusion, bacterial growth and fluctuating water quality due to infrastructure issues and storm impacts.

In short, the treatment facilities for water in American Samoa are rather basic compared to those in more developed countries, so visitors to American Samoa should definitely take precautions before drinking tap water.

Drinking Tap Water in American Samoa

Although most locals are generally fine to drink it, there may be higher concentrations or unfamiliar strains of bacteria, like E.coli, present in the water.

It’s unlikely that visitors will have built up an immunity to particular bacterial strains, which can cause traveller’s diarrhoea.

That's why it is generally advised for visitors to treat the tap water in American Samoa before drinking it, even if the locals are drinking it.

As we’ve established, treating drinking water in American Samoa is a good idea for travellers. We understand, however, that there are some challenges when it comes to making sure water is safe to drink, like having access to facilities to boil water or even the environmental implications of buying bottled water.

That's why we have prepared a few ways to purify water so you can put that in your knowledge bank for any tropical adventure!

Boil the Water

Bringing the water to a boil for 10 minutes is probably the best-known method of purifying water. It kills parasites, bacteria and even viruses and ensures that it is fully safe to drink. Plus, it is the cheapest water purifying method out there. Note that boiling water in a kettle won't effectively kill bacteria; water must be boiled for several minutes.

If you want to ensure you can use this method to treat water, check out accommodations with kitchen facilities in Where to Stay in American Samoa.

Use Water Purification Tablets

Use your own water bottle, drop a water purifying tablet and “voila!” This method has been trialled and tested for years and despite the fact that it gives a bit of a weird taste to the water, it is widely used by travellers around the globe.

If the taste is an issue for you, try a water-purifying solution. Although a bit more expensive, it offers better taste and water clarity than tablets. Price-wise, this is still going to save you tens of dollars compared to buying bottled water all trip long.

Buy a Water-Purifying Water Bottle

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By far our favourite solution of them all, water-purifying bottles like the Lifestraw Bottle removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria and 99.9% of waterborne protozoan. That means that there is no boiling necessary and that you can fill up your water bottle from any tap in American Samoa and know that you have a filtration system with you.

While they are not the cheapest option, once the initial purchase is done, all you have to do is replace the filtration cartridge when it expires.

Although there are alternative brands to Lifestraw, this is just the one that the AmericanSamoaPocketGuide.com team use when travelling the Pacific, so we can recommend it with confidence. When looking for alternatives, make sure to search for “water-purifying” and not “water-filtration”, as filtration only improves the taste of the water.

For more handy things to pack for American Samoa, check out What to Pack for American Samoa: A Full Packing List.