Is the Water Safe to Drink in Wallis & Futuna?

Unlike other Pacific Islands, accessing safe drinking water, especially on Wallis, is incredibly easy.

Drinking Tap Water in Wallis and Futuna

While drinking tap water on Wallis is generally safe for visitors, with refilling water bottles at taps in your hotel room usually being fine, it's a different story on Futuna, where you should take precautions.

On Wallis, the municipal water supply meets safety standards and is typically safe for travellers, as explained in the "Is the Water Treated in Wallis and Futuna?" section below.

However, on Futuna, the water quality can be inconsistent and may contain bacterial strains that locals are accustomed to, but these can cause upset stomachs for visitors who aren't used to the local water.

Though unlikely to cause serious harm, we recommend sticking to bottled, filtered or boiled water on Futuna to avoid any digestive issues during your travels.

If you're planning to venture to Futuna, it's wise to be prepared with a filtration system, like a Lifestraw Water Bottle, or stock up on bottled water in Leava, Futuna's main hub, before venturing to more remote parts of Futuna or Alofi.

Bottled Water in Wallis and Futuna

As a French territory, where drinking bottled water is ingrained in the psyche, bottled water from various brands is readily available at local supermarkets and convenience stores throughout Wallis and Futuna. Learn more about where to find stores in A Guide to Supermarkets & Food Shopping in Wallis & Futuna.

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

The public water supply in Wallis and Futuna is managed and distributed by a centralised network by Electricité et Eau de Wallis et Futuna (EEWF).

Where Does Wallis and Futuna Get its Water Supply?

Wallis is one of the fortunate Pacific islands; it has natural freshwater. You'll find water comes from a combination of underground aquifers and surface sources like lakes, wetlands and catchments scattered across the island.

What's more, all these water sources are protected at multiple sites, which means Wallis can maintain a proper piped water supply where contamination is minimal.

Futuna takes a different approach, mixing stream water with rainwater collected in tanks. However, from what we've observed, these sources aren't as well-protected or treated as those on Wallis.

As for Alofi, it's a fascinating case study in Pacific island challenges. The lack of reliable freshwater means no one lives there permanently, though there's one precious freshwater source at Loka Cave that's become quite the pilgrimage destination, proving just how valuable fresh water can be in these remote islands.

How is Water in Wallis and Futuna Treated?

As mentioned, Wallis takes water quality seriously, and one smart approach they use is creating protection zones around where they extract water. Basically, this means certain activities are off-limits near these spots to keep contamination at bay.

Now, the water on Wallis does get treated, primarily through chlorination and disinfection. Admittedly, this isn't quite to the same high standards as more developed destinations like New Zealand or Europe. Therefore, if you have a sensitive stomach, you may want to treat the water yourself as an extra precaution.

On Futuna, the treatment process isn't as extensive. However, according to locals we chatted with, one of the island's kings is keen to make water treatment improvements a priority in the near future.

As we’ve established, treating drinking water, especially in Futuna or as an added precaution in Wallis, 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 Wallis and Futuna.

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 Wallis and Futuna 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 WallisandFutunaPocketGuide.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 Wallis and Futuna, check out What to Pack for Wallis and Futuna: A Full Packing List.