How’s the water?

I have never had issues drinking tap water in Italy, or anywhere else in Europe that I have been. Most of it tastes better than any bottled water you can find in the US.

As far a fountains, as long as they don't have signs warning it is not to drink, they are supposed to be fine. I still haven't been that brave.

In the 5 weeks cumulative total I have spent in Italy, I came across only two fountains that were marked as 'not potable' ( they are well marked)--- all the others are fine.

I found the tap water to be as good as what I have found in the US, and superior to some areas of the US.

It's not Italy, but our walking tour guide filled his water bottle in Germany and said it's no problem! It should be marked otherwise.

They are not in Venice but look up Nasone in Rome. Lots of them all over Rome, perfect alpine water, cold and refreshing. Take an empty bottle and refill it, or use your thumb and just use like an American water fountain.

I haven’t done that in Venice, but did in Rome. Excellent water and I live in the city with the best tasting water in the US.

Tap water in hotels and homes is good and safe.
Street Drinking fountains are generally safe too, unless you see a sign stating NON POTABILE.
The water in the canals is not good to drink, and neither is the one in the Arno river in Florence or the Tiber in Rome.

If for some reason you aren’t sure about a fountain, in Venice there are plenty of stray cats that you can test the water on. If the cat starts having convulsions and dies, head to the closest store and buy a small bottle of water.

That’s for all your comments and advice. You confirm the info I got. We are traveling to Italy in Oct so I’m in the info gathering Excitement phase. I have traveled in France and the UK and found the water very good. 😽

@Roberto .... note my comment signature 😽 as a Cat lover the stray cat comment, er, well I laughed and then felt guilty. Not to worry I would have no problem testing water on a member of the nearest church clergy.

that's nice.

20 years ago when I lived in North America the locals were so much more polite. Nobody would think of saying such a thing.

With the already-mentioned exception of the "non potabile" signs, water is safe at a fountain if it is flowing out of a faucet. Do NOT do what I saw a young woman do and dunk your bottle down into the pool of water in a decorative fountain. She did this completely oblivious to the pigeons washing themselves in the same water. Then she took a huge swig while I was still stunned. I can't imagine the stomach cramps and worse that she likely experienced a bit later that day.

There are not many fountains in Venice.
Last year while traveling down the Grand Canal on a vaporetto, I looked across to the walkway on the other side and saw a tourist step away from his tour group, squat down and rinse his mouth and face with water he scooped out of the Grand Canal.
I nearly fell overboard.
I would have no hesitation drinking water from a flowing tap in Italy; unless it is marked non-potabile.
Much cleaner than water on an aircraft!

You can drink tap or fountain water anywhere in Italy.

The only place I experienced non potable water in Italy was in one hotel in Sicily. They provided bottled water for guests to drink.

I've never had any problems with tap water or street fountains in Italy but of course as the others have said, you should always check for the words "Acqua Non Potabile". A filter and refillable water bottle is not necessary.

You'll probably find that restaurants prefer to provide bottled water rather than tap water, with a choice between acqua gassata and acqua naturale. I've found that the easiest solution is just go with the bottled water, as it's not really that expensive. It's always a treat after a hot day of touring to have some well chilled water.

Those water fountains/spigots in Rome have been a godsend a few times - it's great to be able to fill your water bottle for free, especially when it's really hot. I don't think I've ever used any of the ones in Venice, but we've been there when temps have been a little more forgiving. At restaurants (in Italy and France) we usually just ask for a bottle of tap water and never any issues. (Obviously don't drink from the decorative fountains...)

Edit to add - Just saw the comments about people drinking out of the rivers/canal - once I spotted a woman in our fair provincial capital of Halifax using the harbour water to clean her hands/face and her children's face - this was when we still had warnings about fecal contamination...even without the warnings, it was not something I'd ever contemplate...

In Italy water undergoes daily quality checks, and this applies to every public water source. So unless you see a sign stating "Non Potabile", feel free to drink as much as you want. Let me write a thing that might seem like an off topic. Even though most foreign tourists don't know it (as well as Italian tourists and a tourist guide I recently met) if you visit Rome you can get water from the Barcaccia (piazza di Spagna), too. You cannot take it from the Trevi fountain, unless you reach the right side where there is a small fountain with a pipe appositely made for providing people with drinkable water.

I too had drank water from fountains and from tap in all the cities I went to in Italy without any problem. Can someone explain why at restaurants the waiters insist that they are not allowed to serve tap water to customers? This happened to me more than once when I asked for tap water in Rome, after which I quit asking for tap water.

Mei

I too had drank water from fountains and from tap in all the cities I went to in Italy without any problem. Can someone explain why at restaurants the waiters insist that they are not allowed to serve tap water to customers? This happened to me more than once when I asked for tap water in Rome, after which I quit asking for tap water.

Well, it is just uncommon. There are no legal prescriptions about this. There isn't a law that forbids it. So, considering our system, what is not forbidden, is consequently allowed. You have the right to ask for it, as well as the right to get it served (and restaurants can ask you to pay for it, too). But again, it is just uncommon. In my whole life I have never asked for tap water in a restaurant, nor seen anyone doing so.

Even though I must confess that I only drink tap water at home :-D

Thank you, Andrea. I can understand that it is the local custom to drink only bottled water in a restaurant in Italy. When in Rome..., as the saying goes. :)

Mei

In restaurants, I’ll look around to see if people are drinking bottled water or tap water. If there is tap water on some tables, that’s what I ask for. What is served varies from country to country.