Safe water in Egypt: water cuts, quality and what to store

Short answer. Egypt's tap water is supplied by the Holding Company for Water and Wastewater (HCWW) and its subsidiaries, which test it against the Ministry of Health's standards (Decree 458 of 2007) ¹. Water cuts are announced in the HCWW 125 app and on its website ²³; 125 is the water emergency number ⁴. Egypt sets no quantity of water to store. Water stress in Egyptian cities is "extremely high" ⁵.

How do I know if my tap water is unsafe?

HCWW runs a national drinking-water quality monitoring system, with laboratories at its plants, central laboratories and mobile laboratories ¹. Its quality department reports every six months on samples taken by its subsidiary companies and on their compliance with the Egyptian drinking-water standards of Ministry of Health Decree No. 458 of 2007, and issues quarterly and annual reports with a map atlas of water-quality indicators by governorate, district and village ¹. Phaenyx found no public list of boil-water or do-not-drink notices. If the authorities or your water company tell you not to drink the water, follow that instruction: see What to do during a boil-water notice and Do-not-drink notices.

How will I know about a water cut?

The HCWW 125 app sends notifications of planned and unplanned maintenance and of water-cut times, "to alert citizens to arrange their water needs" ². It also takes complaints about broken pipes, sewage overflows and water quality, with a photo and a map location ². HCWW posts water-cut notices on its website ³. By phone, 125 is the water emergency number ⁴. See also No running water at home.

How much water should I store?

Egypt publishes no official number of days or litres; see Egypt emergency supplies. Since cuts are announced in advance ², keep a reserve and refill it before a planned cut. For volumes and containers, see How much water per person per day? and Water storage containers.

Is Egypt short of water?

Yes, on every measure. In WRI's Aqueduct 4.0 model, the population-weighted median of Egyptian cities is in the "extremely high" category for current water stress and stays "extremely high" in the 2050 business-as-usual projection; drought risk is "medium-high" ⁵. These are city medians: a given area can sit higher or lower. Access is broad but not universal: WHO and UNICEF estimate that 78.9% of Egypt's population used safely managed drinking water in 2024 ⁶. See Drought preparedness.

What should I do after a flood?

Follow official instructions on tap water and see Water safety after a flood and How to purify water.

Frequently asked questions

Who supplies drinking water in Egypt?

The Holding Company for Water and Wastewater (HCWW) and its subsidiary companies ¹.

What is the water emergency number in Egypt?

125 ⁴. The HCWW 125 app also takes complaints ².

Which standard does Egyptian tap water follow?

The Egyptian drinking-water standards of Ministry of Health Decree No. 458 of 2007 ¹.

How many litres of water does Egypt recommend storing?

None is set. See our water-per-person guide.

Preparedness index: Egypt ranks 67th of 67, 9/100 · full ranking