Drinking water in Europe

What do you think the 300 million residents are eating and drinking?

Is it safe to drink water in Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, or Texas?

What kind of ice tea is there without water in it?

It's perfectly fine water.
You had better bring some ice tea flavoring packets if that's your preferred drink. It's generally not available. You could work on developing a taste for sparkling mineral water with a slice of lemon in the meantime, though.

"Years ago, one had to be careful about drinking water in Europe." How many years ago?

ebenezer133; its a reasonable question. There are a number of places in Europe where it isn't advisable to drink the water, but you aren't going that way. Remember, there are no stupid questions, just stupid responses.

This is a little overly conservative but interesting: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-3683193/From-Spain-France-Russia-Croatia-Countries-Europe-drink-tap-water-places-really-shouldn-t.html

Safe? Yes; always with a palatable taste? Maybe not everywhere. Do the locals drink the water? Varies by area, but like the US many drink bottled water instead. If in a restaurant, it is typical to order a bottle of still or sparkling water rather than insist on free tap water, in fact just asking for water will get you a bottle. Generally drinks will be served with little or no Ice.

It is a very fair question to ask. In most of Europe it is safe to drink the water. Just because the locals drink the water doesn't mean anything other than their bodies have adapted to the bacteria in their water. I am speaking of the obvious places on the planet that this would apply to and not where you are going. I am not into naming countries so not to insult anyone.
You can order tap water if you want. Some places it is free and other places will charge.

I've been impressed with the water available in Europe. I can't stand to drink unfiltered water at home. I think I remember seeing bottled tea in convenient stores but don't recall it on the menu at restaurants - I was usually drinking wine though. Come to think of it I did order some iced tea at a little restaurant near Rembrandt Huis and the waiter brought sparkling iced tea which I found delightful. I drink flavored water throughout the day so last time I took a baggie full of packets with me. You might consider doing that if any are to your taste.

Have a wonderful trip!

Nance;

I've been impressed with the water available in Europe

I hate to be picky, but I would imagine that you have been impressed with the water available in Europe; or at least that part of Europe you have been to. The reason i chimed in above is that "Europe" isn't a tap in a town in the Dolomites, its a freeking continent slightly larger than the size of the United States; and there are places with truly bad water (as there are places in the U.S. with truly bad water). This true especially if you get out of the typical tourist countries and explore.

The OP listed the places they were going, so why talk about other countries?

Curious about that years ago statement. Have lived in Europe for over 30 years and that has not ever been a problem.

If a country is in the EU, they have stringent water policies. The water is fine to drink in those countries. It is probably better water than what you are getting at home. If you are from Flint, then the water here is way better.

I ask for tap water a lot and sometimes I get it and sometimes I don't.

The ice tea here is hardly ever fresh ice tea, it comes from a box with lemon or peach flavor and that awful sweetener. Hip cafes and restaurants are starting to make their own and it may have fresh mint leaves or berries in it. Only talking about Germany here. The other places may offer ice tea.

to put this in perspective....
We had German students with us for a weekend and they would not drink regular water here in Michigan (nice and safe, before the flint thingy and very far from Flint) . They would only drink bottled water and not just any bottled water, but it had to be from Europe.... Needless to say, some of this large group suffered dehydration with headaches and weakness.
I wonder who told them that our water was not safe?????

The only one I even needed to look up was Iceland, and of course that one was fine. (Who knows out in rural areas). Google CDC to see guidelines for any country. My local travel health office (at the medical foundation where my doctor practices) is sometimes more lenient than CDC. For example, they said don't worry about Hungary though the CDC said bottled water only. You are right to ask, it's much more than just a tummy ache but also Hepatitis A that you might risk from ingesting bad water. That includes fruit that is not pealed, lettuce washed in the local water, and brushing your teeth with the local water.

ebenezer,

As the others have so aptly pointed out, the water in most places in Europe is good quality, especially in all the places you'll be visiting. Europe has standards for potable water, although some places may not yet be up to par. One example where bottled water would be a good idea are some small towns in Greece. Fruits and vegetable are also fine in the places you'll be visiting.

As the others have also mentioned, it's probably not a good idea to drink tap water in Flint, MI.

tgreen; apparently the German kids read a German forum where the US was boiled down to one tap in Flint. Much the same way we try to boil down all of Europe into one crystal blue tap in the Alps. 99% of the water in the US is safe (if not all pleasant tasting) while a somewhat smaller percentage of the water in Europe is advisable to drink. This forum tends to be just a tad Western European-centric and forgets about the East.

VS, I have observed a number of utility replacements in Hungary and Romania and after seeing leaking sanitary sewer lines installed above leaking water supply lines I am a tad bit concerned at times when drinking tap water in any emerging country, but i do and so far i have never gotten sick. But that is not an endorsement.

If the tap water is not generally used for drinking, B&B/hotel staff have told me that.

Drinking water in Greece:

As for the water, in Athens and other large towns, tap water is drinkable. However, in most islands and in few mainland towns, bottled water is recommended in order avoid health issues during your trip in Greece.
Health in Greece: Information and protections - Greeka.com
www.greeka.com/greece-travel/health.htm

For Germany, I can say that the tap water is pretty much the best controlled food/drink of all. Neutral organizations test it on a regular basis, and the only reason for boiling it before drinking might be if you are (or have) a new-born infant.

The only difference by region may be the amount of calcium it contains, which may reflect on the flavor of your tea but not on your health.

About those German students mentioned above: Haven't we all learned "boil it, peel it, or forget it" for any foreign destinations we may go to? I remember my Californian friends almost freaking out about that when they heard we were planning to go to Mexico for vacation.

That said, there is some truth to that even for regularly safe countries, as a doctor we consulted on travel diarrhea once told us: Your body is simply used to the germs coming out of your own home or home country's tap. :-)

Canned or bottled iced tea is available almost anywhere, though it is often flavored with peach, raspberry, etc.
You will have no problem drinking water, or asking for ice cubes.
Fruits and vegetables will be washed with regular tap water and are safe to eat.

In some areas, I do better with tap water than bottled water.

A few weeks ago in Austria and Italy, I had some tummy problems. I was drinking bottled mineral water. (This happened to me in Germany last year as well.) I switched to tap water. Problems stopped. Went back to bottled mineral water and problems started again.

While not scientific, I'm deducing that the bottled water may have a higher mineral content than tap water and I wasn't used to it.

For the places you mention, the tap water should be fine.

The quality of the fruits and vegetables you will find in the places you visit will be of a much higher quality that what you find at home. Local, seasonal, not modified, cheap organic, etc...

Is it safe to drink the water in Flint yet?

Actually, there are certain places that will have tap water that's not drinking water, but they will usually have a sign warning you not to drink the water (it's a symbol, so it's obvious what it means no matter if you understand the language). For instance:

• in trains,
• in restrooms on freeway parking lots (I don't mean the big places with roadside restaurants; those usually have normal drinking water. I mean the smaller ones that have no services except for the restrooms.),
• public fountains.

I have actually brushed my teeth with the water in a train after a long ride, and I survived to tell the story. But I would not do it if I can avoid it, and I would certainly not fill my water bottle there.

Wow! I never expected so many responses! I enjoyed the many informational and comical responses. Thank you for your input. I appreciate the fact that most of you took my question seriously and gave me the info that I needed. I realize that when away from home, one's body may react differently to a variety of changes in one's lifestyle and you have to deal with the effects. However, it is good to know that we are pretty safe with the water. Thank you everyone!

I've never had any problems drinking potable water in Europe, including out of fountains in Rome. I've seen fountains in Spain and France that are marked with some form of "nonpotable water". If you see those, don't drink it. Otherwise, I think the average person is fine eating and drinking anything in Europe.

The German students were here 2 years before Flint. And NO the water is still not safe to drink in Flint.

To the OP, check out the CDC website for travel to other countries and what they recommend https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/
I think they suggested not to drink the water in Croatia (we went last yr) but the water was fine, so perhaps the CDC recommendations are on the conservative side.

Drinking bottled water is sometimes a cultural thing, sometimes a historical hangover from the days when the water supply really was unreliable. Very rarely now is there any necessity.

In some places the water tastes horrible even if perfectly safe. Malta comes to mind.

I drank mostly bottled water when I lived in Germany, but only because the water in southern Hessen had a very acrid taste I could never adjust too.

but only because the water in southern Hessen had a very acrid taste I
could never adjust to

Oh come on, you only missed the familiar taste of chlorine you're accustomed to. ;-)

I've never had any problems drinking potable water in Europe,
including out of fountains in Rome.

Since public drinking fountains are a lot less common in Europe than they are in the U.S., I'd still be careful about fountains unless they explicitly state that it's potable water.

Depending on the type of fountain, some of them may even have a water-saving cycle system pumping the same water up again and again, and I sure wouldn't want to drink the pigeon poop dissolved in that.

Brad, if you make a trip to St. Petersburg, Russia, that's a place where you shouldn't drink the water unless a reliable American medical authority assures you that giardia is no longer living in the water system there. Th information abiut the giardia infestation wasn't available before my trip, and I ended up being sick for about 2 weeks--fortunately, not until after I returned home.

Brad, if you make a trip to St. Petersburg, Russia, that's a place where you shouldn't drink the water....

tgreen reference the CDC travel health safety website is a good "standard travel practice" for Americans to follow. While the countries on your list are first world food/water safety countires, Russia is one of the European exceptions. CDC recommendation for Russian travelers:

Don’t Drink

-Tap or well water

-Ice made with tap or well water

-Drinks made with tap or well water (such as reconstituted juice)

-Unpasteurized milk

@JamesE: I know that you are a big proponent of Hungary and Budapest, but I noticed that in the link you cited, that Hungary was one of the countries where it was recommended not to drink the tap water. I was hoping that had changed since I was last there in 2000. Anecdotally, when living in Vienna for one year and traveling to a number of contiguous countries in the early 1990s, the only times I got "Montezuma's revenge" was both times I visited Budapest. Do you drink the tap water in Budapest (I know you travel there a lot)? I have an upcoming trip there this Fall.

Op , in all the places you have listed the water is perfectly safe .

I drank tap water in France 45 years ago and still do ( I know you aren't going to France ) .

In 1985 we stayed in some places on the Greek islands where the water was considered iffy, so we drank bottled . Still brushed out teeth with it though . Didn't get sick .

Robert, the CDC caution is for the rural areas in Hungary and not in Budapest. Still outside of the more renovated areas in Budapest I would feel more comfortable drinking bottled alcoholic beverages. But in practice i have had water all over town and in some rural areas and haven't gotten sick in 15 years. I just wouldn't recommend it; especially when there is so much good bottled alcoholic beverages.

Robert the only real difference my statements and a lot of others that you will read here is that i don't pretend to be an expert or all knowing of all circumstance in all parts of every..... At least i realize that while Donetsk and Paris are both in Europe, they aren't the same. That concept seems to escape some people. If the CDC or the EU or .... suggests something, while i may not pay attention, i am not about to suggest anyone else do as i do; i would consider that to be reckless.

Been hitting Europe since 72 and in many places where James probably has never been and never had a problem with local water. So don't know how far back "years ago" goes for the OP but it is safe now.

In my experience, Germans do seem to have a peculiar reluctance to drink tap water. One theory I've heard is that the German for tap water, "Leitungswasser", sounds a bit industrial and unappetising. I was once visiting a German friend in Munich, and when she saw me filling a glass from the tap she raced to the fridge to offer me a bottle.

I don't see what would be less appetizing about the word "Leitung" than about the word "tap".

That said, water quality issues of 50 years ago may still stick in some people's heads even though the water has been perfectly safe and incredibly well controlled for decades now.

In your case, however, I would assume a different reason: Your host simply wanted to be hospitable and offer you what she felt was a quality product = it had cost something and she had to carry it from the store.

If you ask for water in a German restaurant, you will not get tap water either. And you will have to pay for it.

Unless of course you explicitly ask for tap water, which may be o.k. if you have a pill to swallow or have already ordered a strong cup of coffee or some other kind of drink. Tourists should be aware that most restaurants live on the drinks and cannot subsist on the food they sell, so drinking free tap water only at a restaurant would feel sort of like not tipping the waiter in the U.S..

I'd be wary about drinking the water in London, stick to gin and beer.

JC, finally some sound advice. Thank you.

I'm thinking the Germans probably read that American bottled water is little more than filtered tap water. Which, for the most part, is true.

I've been to St. Petersburg but don't think I ever drank any water, that was in 2010 so the memory fades a little.

My worst experience with non-potable water was in a nice hotel in Korea. They advised the water was non-potable and that each floor had a water station where you could get potable water. You still showered in the non-potable water but I didn't think about not brushing my teeth. It took about a tenth of a second before realizing my toothbrush tasted like it came out of a toilet drain.

I've been to Mexico many, many times and always avoided ice and water - even when they said they had a safe water system on the premises. One time I toured with some American residents who were from Guadalajara. I kept asking them if it was okay to eat this or drink that and they assured me it was no big deal. After awhile, I remembered they grew up in Mexico. Not a big deal for them may not be for me. I didn't get sick though, so it ended fine.