Drinking water in Italy

Yes, I do, it tastes like Chicago water. Nothing to rave about, and there's No need to drink too much of it because cold bottled water is everywhere.

When I pass a Bar or a grocery store, I always buy Frizzante. Italy's famous fizzy water that I am totally addicted to. It's very cheap at the grocer and more costly at the Bars and restaurants.

The sparkling water here in the US is Not Frizzante. Doesn't come close. Italy sells bottled flat water too. It's OK, but Frizzante is the best.

Yes, water in Italy is perfectly safe. I filled up my water bottle at various fountains, and never was sick. I brushed my teeth with it, and no ills to report of. Ordering still/bubbly water at restaurants is the norm, but tap water is fine to drink as well.

Absolutely! We never bought bottled water, and filled our own bottle everywhere. Rome's water is especially good, and there are public fountains everywhere.

Certainly, italian tap water is fine. There are popular and quite ornate fountains for drinking water in Rome, Varenna, Salerno and various other locations. I also prefer frizzante, also known as gassata or con gas. But please, do not drink lagoon water in Venice, which could ruin your whole trip.

Frank,

Italy is a modern country and has to meet standards, so in most cases the water is definitely safe to drink. I routinely drink tap water when there, and have yet to suffer any ill effects. A few points to mention though......

• When dining at restaurants, you may find it difficult to get tap water. They always prefer to supply bottled water and I usually just get that as a small bottle isn't really that expensive. With bottled water you'll have a choice of Naturale (normal water) or Acqua Gassata or Frizzante (carbonated water).
• In many cases the water in the outdoor fountains will be suitable for drinking, and some of that is excellent quality and very refreshing. However, if you see a sign that says "Acqua non Potabile" then you should NOT drink that water. Acqua Potabile means that it is safe to drink.
• I always pack along a water bottle every day when I'm out touring, refilling it when required from the tap, fountains or from bottles that I have left over from meals.

Drinking water from ornamental fountains: look for the little tap off to the side. Free-standing water fountains for drinking are plentiful, they are known as "nasone" (big nose).

If you want to try Italian frizzante water before you go, most supermarkets carry San Pellegrino.

It's not safe if you drink directly from a sewer, but tap water is safe.

Thanks for the shared experiences!

....and there is an app for your phone or iPad. I Nasoni di Roma, will show you were all those spots are to refill your water bottles.

Unless there is a sign saying "non potabile" you can drink out of any of the fountains in Rome. The water is clean and fresh and best of all---free. Just bring an empty water bottle with you and fill up as you go. Some will have spigots with a small hole near the top. If you plug the bottom of the spigot (where the water is pouring out) with your thumb the water will shoot out the hole in the top making a drinking fountain for you.

https://lolamamma.wordpress.com/2010/03/03/rome-drinking-fountains/

scroll down to second picture.

Donna

Italian tap water tastes much better compared to the US one. In my humble opinion, tap water in some american cities tastes like swimming pool.

That's true. I can smell and taste the Chlorine. CVS now sells a Sparkling Water that is quite delicious, actually rivals Italy's Frizzante, and it takes a lot for me to say that as I'm addicted to Frizzante.

the norm in France is to just order tap water in restaurants for free and it saves a bundle. The Italian water is fine (in fact you can fill your water bottle from designated fountains all over Rome and we have on many occasions) but the norm in restaurants is to order bottled water with meals. Occasionally they will serve tap water with coffee or with an ice cream order at a cafe, but with meals people usually order bottled water. I always order bubbly water since observing a restaurant in Lucignano refilling the bottled water bottles from the town pump. And yes, that restaurant had 'uncapped' the bottled water at our table the night before. I pointed out that the bottles looked a bit worn regardless of the 'uncapping' and so found it highly amusing to watch them doing this refilling the next day.

janettravels44
www.janettravels.wordpress.com

Not to mention that there is something to be said about drinking water coming from a 2000 year old aqueduct.

It is almost funny that you can't get tap water from a restaurant, you could go 50 feet away and get water from the fountain.

Jonathan

I once saw a clueless young northern European woman dip her water bottle down into the big fountain in front of Santa Maria Maggiore and fill it up that way and then take a big swig. I was dumbfounded. This was water that birds were washing in (and doing other things in, no doubt). But she probably heard that the public fountains in Rome were safe to drink from and that's what she thought it meant.

The nasoni, on the other hand, are wonderful, charming and provide delicious clean water. (BTW, the ones I've seen are constantly running. No faucet or button to turn them on and off. Another nice hygiene feature.)

Since Americans are becoming used to spending billions on plastic bottles of water here at home, we are headed in the same dreiction as European restaurants. I've been finding it increasingly common for US restaurants to try and embarrass you into ordering bottled water.

The reason why in America restaurants don't need to sell you bottled water to make an extra buck, is because they already rip you off enough when you order wine. Restaurants in the US make you feel good that you got free tap water, while they laugh all the way to the bank after having taken $15 from your wallet for a mediocre glass of wine and after charging you a 17-18% tip they expect regardless of service. Since in Italy you get a full liter of wine for the same price that in America isn't even enough for a glass, and you also pay only 10% service charge (and not even in all restaurants) I don't think one should complain about having to pay 3 or 4 euro for a 1 lt. bottle of San Pellegrino. At least it's sparkling..

Roberto, why do we not see the wine glasses in the US we see in Italy? The glasses in Italy actually have the line on them for the consistent quantity of wine, glass after glass. Would this fly in the US?