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[Chao]

Spaniard here, quality of water differs depending on where you live. Where I live now -a small town in Seville- tap water is very good, but as OP pointed out, Barcelona's tap water is horrible to the point that you'd be better off buying bottled water for the rest of your life.

Here I can manage with a brita jar just fine

 

[Benzychenz]

I didn't notice anything too bad about the taste when I was travelling Europe.

Spain definitely had the worst out of the places I visited, and I bought bottled water just in case, but what I did taste of the tap water was passable taste-wise.

 

[Funky Papa]

Indeed. Either drink free horrible-tasting tap water or risk your health and be poisoned by perfectly-fine-tasting bottled water. You're are going to far though. I'm not being conned big time. That's why I said I do it every now and then. this was an isolated case in millions.

Bottled water is nowhere near as consumed as tap water. I can bring several cases of mass poisonings over the last decade despite being a minoritary option, while tap water remains massively more safe due to superior regulations and inspections, even if it tastes worse in some regions.

The fact is that while the chances of getting sick from bottled water are very remote, tap water is even safer, so there's no point in drinking from a bottle because somebody tells us that "it's healthier". It isn't. That's just marketing. And anybody who buys it, it's falling for it.

Now, if you prefer the taste and buy a bottle from time to time or you actually need bottled water for other reasons (be it kidney issues or running a restaurant), that's totally fine by me.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Must be why sparkling water is all the rage in Europe

 

[Bedameister]

German tap water is excellent. In countries like spain I also wouldn't drink tap to be honest.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

I live in Scotland so our tap water is great

 

[1.21Gigawatts]

I'm from munich and the tap water here is awesome because of the alps. I figure its pretty much the same everywhere where its coming from the alps.

I recently traveled through the US and had to buy bottled water all the time because wherever you go, the water tastes like fucking pool water because they put chlorine in it. Whether its NYC, Austin, LA. Tasted like shit everywhere.
And the bottled water they sell is just some weird Poland Spring stuff that doesn't taste particularly good or shit expensive fancy water...

Also weird, the water from the tap doesn't get really hot or cold in the US. When i turn in either direction at home the water gets to hot to touch or too cold to keep your hands under it, in the US its get mildly cold or a little warm (usually the warm side worked better but it takes a while). Now I know why all your fridges dispense icecubes... because you can't get cold tap water otherwise.

I also noticed that showering feels different in the US, especially on the hair. Someone in the thread said it feels less clean, but on thin hair it just feels like it makes your hair thicker. I liked that.


But at least the tap water in the US was drinkable. In Istanbul some locals drink it, but when I saw that in a glass of tap water that was standing around for a while a white sediment had seperated from the water I wasn't eager to try it out myself.

Oh, and in india tap water is like the boogieman. You try to avoid it at all cost on your monthslong trip through india until one day a tap water ice cube sneeks into your coke and from that moment on you have the worst diarrhea for the rest of the trip until you get back to germany and your doctor puts you on antibiotics.

 

[Darksol]

Tap water in Canada is quite good. Japan's is quite reasonable as well.

 

[F!ReW!Re]

Back home in the Netherlands the tap water is amazing.
Here in China though, it's not recommended to drink it straight from the tap.
I tasted it and it's like you're taking a sip from a swimming pool, absolutely disgusting.

 

[Kabouter]

Pretty happy with the tap water here in the Netherlands

 

[Herbspiceguy]

You sound like a generalizing snob.
Quality of tap water vastly differs per country.

 

[Funky Papa]

nm

 

[Rodney McKay]

I was just in Paris and several sites in Italy and the tap water has been great everywhere. No flavors, super clean, perfect.

So much so I don't understand why restaurants are so pushy with bottled water, I'm guessing just to make more money?

 

[Hanmik]

You sound like a generalizing snob.
Quality of tap water vastly differs per country.

maybe I am a smug snob.. It's not that I didn't educate myself on this subject..

Here is some info from this year.

https://www.citybaseapartments.com/blog/a-european-travellers-guide-to-drinking-water-infographic/

I know where it is perfectly safe to drink.. but the taste and quality of the water (which is what my post was about) is not fine IMO in some countries (where it is safe to drink).

I probably am a Snob for not liking the taste and quality of water in some places..

 

[cooljeanius]

Water here in New Hampshire tastes fine...

 

[Devil]

Germany has great tap water in most places. Got a Soda Stream recently and it's so much better than having to buy bottled water all the time. I always hate it when I travel and the water smells and tastes as disgusting as described by OP.

 

[Messofanego]

Indeed. Either drink free horrible-tasting tap water or risk your health and be poisoned by perfectly-fine-tasting bottled water. You're are going to far though. I'm not being conned big time. That's why I said I do it every now and then. this was an isolated case in millions.

Bottled water is a for-profit scam where the majority of bottled water in the world is owned by less than a handful of companies with little regulation compared to tap water and gorge out local places for their water sources and have actively campaigned to mislead people into believing tap water is unhealthy while causing illness in certain places thanks to the plastic, so yeah you are being conned. Tapped is a good documentary about this.

 

[Anung]

I live in Scotland and the tap water here is fantastic. Which is good because the only thing I drink is water. Not a fan of English tap water and the worst tap water I've ever drank was from New York.

 

[GAMEPROFF]

German tap water is pretty good. Cant imagine living in a country where you have to be worried that you get water in your mouth.

 

[Fliesen]

Bottled water is a for-profit scam where the majority of bottled water in the world is owned by less than a handful of companies with little regulation compared to tap water and gorge out local places for their water sources and have actively campaigned to mislead people into believing tap water is unhealthy while causing illness in certain places thanks to the plastic, so yeah you are being conned. Tapped is a good documentary about this.

by definition, bottled water is just someone else's tap water, if you think about it

 

[nampad]

I am fine with German tap water. Used to drink it a lot because I was too lazy to carry bottled water but now I switched back to bottled water because it is more convenient.

I won't drink tap water outside of Germany except when I know the quality is exceptional (like in Austria due to the alps). I won't touch tap water feom the mediterranian or France or something, I just don't trust them.

 

[n00bsauce87]

The tap in Washington DC is amazing. No need to buy bottled water.

 

[thelastcrusader]

Dude never drink tap water anywhere. It's essentially liquid cancer in most places.

 

[Shiggy]

Have no issues with tap water in Stockholm and Germany. In Hong Kong it was also fine when I lived there. Not trying it in Beijing though lol

 

[Ethelwulf]

Bottled water is a for-profit scam where the majority of bottled water in the world is owned by less than a handful of companies with little regulation compared to tap water and gorge out local places for their water sources and have actively campaigned to mislead people into believing tap water is unhealthy while causing illness in certain places thanks to the plastic, so yeah you are being conned. Tapped is a good documentary about this.

Bottled water is nowhere near as consumed as tap water. I can bring several cases of mass poisonings over the last decade despite being a minoritary option, while tap water remains massively more safe due to superior regulations and inspections, even if it tastes worse in some regions.

The fact is that while the chances of getting sick from bottled water are very remote, tap water is even safer, so there's no point in drinking from a bottle because somebody tells us that "it's healthier". It isn't. That's just marketing. And anybody who buys it, it's falling for it.

Now, if you prefer the taste and buy a bottle from time to time or you actually need bottled water for other reasons (be it kidney issues or running a restaurant), that's totally fine by me.

True words, both of you. I might being conned, it's just that tap water tastes horrible here I found room-temperature tap water almost undrinkable so, what would you do in my case?

 

[Dy_Cy]

What's the problem with Paris tap water ? It tastes the same as mineral to me.

 

[FlammableD]

British tap water is good, especially up north.

Will drink bottled while in Europe, but how much of that is Brexit types ingrained foreigner distrust ingrained in me over the years by the media, who knows.

 

[thelastcrusader]

You guys have clearly never have Florida tap...

 

[Funky Papa]

True words, both of you. I might being conned, it's just that tap water tastes horrible here I found room-temperature tap water almost undrinkable so, what would you do in my case?

I'd suggest to find a good filtre. One of my friends has one installed in his kitchen, so all the water from his sink is filtered. Just keep in mind that many manufacturers are quite scummy and force you to replace the filtres way too often in order to be effective.

What's the problem with Paris tap water ? It tastes the same as mineral to me.

The thing is basically chalk, but some people are more sensitive to it than others. I don't mind it.

With that said, many complains about odd taste are probably due to old plumbing. I've had both fine and utterly shit tap water in Madrid, so I can only imagine blame the tubing.

 

[Phobophile]

Do Brita and Pur type filters not exist in Europe or are they poorly marketed?

 

[Ethelwulf]

I'd suggest to find a good filtre. One of my friends has one installed in his kitchen, so all the water from his sink is filtered. Just keep in mind that many manufacturers are quite scummy and force you to replace the filtres way too often in order to be effective.

Believe it or not, I am realizing this until now. CONNED indeed. Thanks.

 

[squall23]

I may just be old and stupid... but damn it must be strange to live in a country where you can't drink water unless it is bottled.

So I was just wondering, is it all about "not knowing" how much better the water is elsewhere (because you were born there and got used to it), and because of that you feel your water is fine? Or do you guys not like the tap water in your country? Can local people even drink the water from the tap?

Sometimes, you just can't trust tap water in certain countries. That's just the way it's been and probably will be for the forseeable future. For example, Hong Kong (and by extension China) does not have trustworthy tap water. You boil that shit before you drink it. Quite frankly, because I was raised with that mindset, moving to Canada and people telling me I could drink water straight from the tap was absolutely baffling to me.

 

[LionPride]

Tap water in Tennessee is top notch

 

[CrunchyB]

In The Netherlands, we have excellent tap water. We also have weed, shrooms,beer and drop. You should try it sometime

Tap water in the Netherlands is the best thing ever. Tastes exactly like bottled water.

It still depends on the region. I used to live on the Veluwe, we had a lot of natural wells there and the tap water was excellent. It's actually slightly acidic in nature, so they need to add calcium to prevent corrosion.

But then I moved to Enschede over a decade ago and the water here is loaded with minerals. The taste isn't so bad, but showering in the stuff used to feel gross, although I've gotten used to it. Now it's mostly the tons of limescale that bothers me.

 

[JoeNut]

I lived in gran canaria for 2 years and the water there isn't even drunk by the locals it's so bad for you.

I think in general it's known that you don't drink water in most of europe, other than the UK where i live i won't touch it anywhere

 

[Benzychenz]

So much so I don't understand why restaurants are so pushy with bottled water, I'm guessing just to make more money?

Oh man this reminds me of when I was out clubbing in Europe, I think it was in Prague, where the guy literally said he wasn't allowed to give me tap water and I had to buy a bottle if I wanted water. Thankfully that wasn't a widespread thing, had no trouble in Rome and Amsterdam off the top of my head.

 

[Nicktendo86]

What you are describing is hard water, just chill it before drinking and a lot of the unpleasant taste goes away.

Having lived in London all of my life and used to it, whenever I drink soft water is tastes odd to me.

 

[Mr Git]

North in the UK - we get our tap water from the Lake District and it's goooood. No limescale here or scummy tea.

 

[Boney]

Never drink tap water when on vacation. Your body won't be used to it and most likely you'll get diarrhea and maybe a stomach ache

I drink tap water all the time here in Chile, even restaurants.

 

[Shiggy]

Do Brita and Pur type filters not exist in Europe or are they poorly marketed?

I saw Brita (a German company) for the first time in China. And I'm from Germany, so first thing I did was to check if it's really a German firm or just scummy Chinese marketing. But we just don't have any need for it in Germany.

 

[Moff]

Swiss tap water is my favorite beverage. I couldnt imagine carrying bottles into my appartment all the time.

 

[kharma45]

Relevant

https://youtu.be/GceNsojnMf0

I was lucky enough too when I was growing up that my grandparents water came from a natural spring on their land. Shit was good.

 

[Brinbe]

????????? I know you were ranting about Europe in particular but Toronto tap water is genuinely amazing and tasty. Like better and more refreshing than bottled water-tier. That's what our tax dollars go towards and reading through this thread I realize how much of a luxury that is compared to the rest of the world.

At my parent's place in suburban PA, that water, while safe, is gross and just incredibly unappetizing.

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

Dude never drink tap water anywhere. It's essentially liquid cancer in most places.

Foodbabe. Hi.

 

[Mass_Pincup]

Heh? Tap water is perfectly drinkable in Paris.

 

[Aiii]

Dutch tap water is pretty much the only thing I drink these days.

In The Netherlands, we have excellent tap water. We also have weed, shrooms,beer and drop. You should try it sometime

Tap water in the Netherlands is the best thing ever. Tastes exactly like bottled water.

That's right.

And yet plenty of people still buy fucking Spa Blauw... Idiots. If you're gonna throw your money away, give it to a charity or something.

 

[Hanmik]

Heh? Tap water is perfectly drinkable in Paris.

Sorry ... I went to Disneyland Paris with the family last summer. In the resort the water was filled with chlorine, which made it strange to drink to me and the family. I was in Paris (the city) for one day, and never had a chance to try the water. So maybe it is just Disneyland that has that kind of water, and it is fine in the rest of the region.

 

[gutter_trash]

Montreal and it's suburbs tap water is fine.

I still use a Brita filter

 

[Rei_Toei]

That's right.

And yet plenty of people still buy fucking Spa Blauw... Idiots. If you're gonna throw your money away, give it to a charity or something.

Baffles the mind, really. Though (at least as far as I'm observing), buying bottled water seems to be on the decline. Also happy with the movement advocating offering tap water in bars and restaurants. Also, during my school/uni days everyone was carrying around bottles of spa blauw, mostly filled with tap water, as canteens. These days all my colleagues outdo eachother in fancy designer waterbottles because of the BPA scare

 

[breakfuss]

Isn't water a municipal thing though?