The most commonly shared opinion between locals and non-locals alike is the distrust in the safety of drinking from the tap in China, and this opinion is followed in Beijing. Because of this, most Chinese have for a long time been accustomed to boiling water to turn tap water into potable water. By boiling water, you may remove bacteria, but you are also removing all the vitamins and minerals too. The thing is that for most foreigners, targeting mainly westerners, drinking hot water is not a common habit. Instead, most foreigners are accustomed to drinking room temperature or cold water. To get around this in Beijing, you can simply subscribe to getting drinking water delivered regularly.

Drinking water is a huge business and because of that, your choices are aplenty. Around every neighborhood, you can find a water station (水站 shui zhan) that specializes in delivering huge 5-gallon jugs of drinking water. Prices for different branded waters can cost anywhere from 10 to over 20 RMB each, with discounts available for buying in bulk (a quantity of 10) which normally include receiving one or two free bottles. In addition, some places will either rent or sell for cheap a water dispenser.

Most drinking water brands will offer you different choices of water such as and not limited to: Watson’s, Nestle Pure Life, Nongfu Springs, etc. Talk to the shop owner for recommendations on what is most popular among customers. Remember, when prescribing to a water delivery service, you will need to place a deposit for the water jug, usually 50 RMB. Keep the receipt to reclaim your deposit when you stop your service.