Tap water in Italy

Yes it is.

As safe as in Germany, Spain, UK, France and all the other EU countries that have agreed upon common standards. Is it safe in your country?

Tap water is safe.
But wine is safer.

Just to let you know. Unlike in America, restaurants in Italy do not serve tap water at the table. So be ready to order bottled mineral water (sparkling or still, depending on your preference). Bottled mineral water is very cheap in Italy. Maybe a couple of euro for a liter bottle at a restaurant (at a grocery store less than 50 cents). It is not like in the US where restaurants charge $8-$10 for a small bottle of sparkling water. That’s the price of a liter of house wine at a restaurant in Italy.

Unlike in America, restaurants in Italy do not serve tap water at the table

Ah, yes, one of Rick Steves few mis-steps, teaching generations of travelers to say "Tap Water, Please" in every European language.

Tastes better than in USA. Restaurants all offer “still” or “with gas” - you can buy water anywhere. Or you can fill your water bottle at the fountains in town.

No problems with drinking the water in Milan, Turin, Ravenna, Padova. No signs warning against such.

Millions of Italians seem to do so every day without ill effects.
There are a few side effects reported by those from the US who elect to imbibe that you need to be aware of however, such as an increased appreciation of good food and wine, a relaxed attitude towards life in general, and an alarming tendency to "talk with your hands" when conversing with others. Luckily, the symptoms seem to dissipate once the visitor returns home so the effects are only temporary.

It's fine. However, the first time I was in Italy in 1966 it wasn't. I made the mistake of rinsing my toothbrush in the tap in Venice and suffered the consequences.

Not only safe, but fun! The public, gravity-fed water fountains that are ubiquitous in the old parts of Rome have been there for centuries.

Y’all crack me up! Leaving for Venice Italy tomorrow and I cannot wait to drink the safe water and even more safe 🍷 Ciao.

While it is safe, very few of my friends in the Modena area drink tap water. They all buy bottled water! I am the exception.

Robert, on the contrary, the side effects linger for years, and can only be ameliorated by return trips to Italy.

It's safe in the sense that you aren't going to get Montezuma's revenge. However, there is the possibility that you will be ingesting heavy metals. https://www.thelocal.it/20150703/are-italys-drinking-fountains-safe/ This is also a risk in North American cities, mind you

The water coming from the nasoni is the same water that serves the taps in homes and restaurants. Except some of those nasoni are made of lead.

Standards are standards, not guarantees. You can't generalize about a whole country's water. The water in the US is safe too, unless of course you live in Jackson, MS or Flint MI, or countless other places with deteriorated infrastructure. When we were in Trapani, there was an EU health advisory not to drink the water because the treatment was below standard.

I would not recommend to order tap water at a restaurant in Italy, even if Rick Steves taught you how to say in all languages. Not because restaurants’ water is unsafe, but because it will not be well received by the restaurant staff. Considering the insignificant cost of bottled water (generally less than €2/lt). You will be immediately labeled as a cheapskate customer and treated accordingly. Bottled water is actually an important revenue stream for restaurants. it is cheap but the markup is high.

Asking for tap water is a rookie mistake in Italy. Just don't. You can order fizzy water for a song and it makes every day feel like a party. Remember, there won't be any ice and many times the bottled water (or in a jug or pitcher) will be cool. It seemed to me that they always brought us Americans the cooler water. There were also a couple of places where we got icy mugs for beer, too. When in doubt, drink wine but order the house wine! It's generally excellent and also cheap.

Look. I totally agree on ordering a bottle of water, I was just pointing out, at least in the old days, nearly every RS Guidebook had a line about ordering tap water, to save money, along with the appropriate phrase (RS was "budget travel" back in the day, now it is "retired or near retired people with a healthy nest egg travel")

I think the guidance has changed, or at least softened according to this: https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/sleeping-eating/drink-like-a-european ...but he still brings it up