Water in Vietnam

I recently spent five weeks in Vietnam. ONLY use bottled water. Never drink tap water even for brushing your teeth and cleaning your toothbrush. No ice in your drinks either.

Bottled water is available everywhere - convenience stores, grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops etc.and it is very cheap. Just be sure that it is sealed properly. Most hotels will provide a couple of bottles of water each day.

I agree - I would never drink tap water in Vietnam. Just buy bottled water. I do rinse my toothbrush in tap water and have never had a problem, but I guess it's better safe than sorry.

Bottled water is safe to drink - no need to worry about that. If you want to be really sure, check the seal before consuming.

Bottled water is the only way to know for sure the water is safe to drink. As was noted check the seals, but if you purchase in a store or restaurant it should be fine. It's a drag not to use a refillable bottle, but I wouldn't count on easy access to safe filling stations. I avoided served drinks with ice and had bottled soft drinks and beer. I ate all sorts of weird things from street vendors all over Vietnam (including raw veggies washed in water) and did not have any tummy problems. But I did pack meds just in case (immodium, pepto, etc.). The CDC page for Vietnam has info about eating and drinking safety, as well as recommended vaccines (some address food and water borne illness, such as Hepatitis A). https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/vietnam

Standard protocol for water anywhere in the developing world:

Drink water ONLY from a bottle (one that you open yourself or witness being unsealed). No ice in drinks. Brush your teeth with bottled water, not tapwater, rinse your toothbrush with bottled water, too. In the shower, allow no drops of water in your month or nose, be careful not to unconsciously "lick your lips" while showering. These things are really hard to get used to, we all have a thousand small habits we don't notice which must be overcome. All uncooked produce is a risk - that's one of the toughest ones - I miss salads and raw veggies. I've even brushed my teeth with beer once

Shorthand for the food rules: Boil it, peel it, or forget it. Any street food is always a roll of the dice (I've seen customers' plates and utensils quickly dipped in tubs of gray water, wiped off with a gray towel, then immediately reused to serve someone else...). While my spouse (she with an iron stomach) happily eats her way down any street and rarely complains of tummy issues, I'm not built that way. She orders everything, my order is usually "I'll have a Pepsi, please, in the bottle."

I just got back from a trip to South America. I'm about to jump in the shower, open my mouth, gargle, and drink some of our lovely potable water that we so often take for granted, and then brush my teeth for an hour. Urp.

Two good bottled water brands in Vietnam, Aquafina and La Vie.

Just returned from several weeks in Vietnam. I was primarily in 3* hotels. None had refill stations. I saw one in my 6 weeks in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. I didn't think the station got much use, and someone mentioned friends got sick after using it. Plan for bottled water. Check the seals if you want, but chances of tampered bottles are pretty slim, IMO. Some hotels may have glass bottles they hare filled. I trusted them...no issues Many day tours inclue a bottle or two of water.
I would pack twice the Pepto Bismal tablets you think you need. I found this trip it took longer than expected for my gut to adjust and had minor bouts of upset gut into week 3 of travel. I found Pepto fi ally, but very expensive. For most occurances, I felt Immodium would be too aggressive a treatment.
Your biggest risk is going to be buffet meals....and the serving tool handles. Use a napkin around the handle and/or wash hands before eating.

I was in Vietnam this summer and drank only bottled water. Didn't get sick. There are lots of markets around and plenty of opportunities to purchase bottled water, in my opinion.