With offices across town, the Beijing Tap Water Company is easy to reach, but English is not usually spoken. A typical bill will be around ¥50 per month for two people sharing an apartment. Beijing tap water (as in the rest of China) is not safe to drink, so is mainly used for showers, bathing and cooking. Some even recommend that you avoid brushing your teeth with the municipal water, due to metals from older pipe systems.

Water dispensers are ubiquitous; most homes and businesses will have at least one. These can be bought at any large market or appliance store and range in cost from ¥200 for a basic model, to ¥500 for advanced systems with sanitisers and extra filtration. The water itself comes in large plastic jugs. They can be ordered from a variety of suppliers who offer free delivery, but often only speak Chinese. Several brands are available and the price of a jug ranges from ¥8 to ¥15, with a ¥50 deposit paid the first time you buy. You can find a service simply by looking for the ubiquitous carts stacked high with bottles, or by asking you neighbour or landlord.