Tap water vs drinking water? - Utilities: Electric, gas and water recommendations and advice in Carboneras - Carboneras forum - Costa de Almería forum in the Almeria province of Spain
Have Tools Will Travel
Grupo Platinum Estates
UK DIRECT REMOVALS
Mini Digger Almera
ASSSA Insurance

Join the Carboneras forum

Join the Carboneras forumMy name's Alex and this is my website all about Carboneras in Spain. Register now for free to talk about Utilities: Electric, gas and water recommendations and advice in Carboneras and much more!

Tap water vs drinking water?

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:40am
24 replies1207 views14 members subscribed
Agnete

Posts: 8

3 helpful points

Location: Carboneras

Joined: 25 Jun 2020

Hi all, I moved to Carboneras six weeks ago and have now decided to stay, and received my 12 month tenancy agreement. I don't want to continue having to buy these huge lumps of plastic (6l water bottles). On my previous stays in Spain I was always in hotels where there were signs next to the bathroom taps saying "not drinking water", so I assumed it might be the same but I have realised I don't actually know 

1. whether tap water is fine to drink

2. if not, why not and can, whatever the problem is, be remedied by simply boiling then filtering the water

4. if so, does anyone know what kind of filter I need, or is there only one kind

If no one really knows, I will ask the council. Have to go see them for the Padron registration anyway. If I find out I will post here. 

Thanks :)

Matthew

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 3:13pm

Matthew

Legendary helpful member

Posts: 2236

3339 helpful points

Location: Mojacar

Joined: 16 May 2018

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 3:13pm

1. I drink tap water (perhaps an ordinary glass per day) when I'm in Spain.

2. I wouldn't give tap water to any of our grandchildren unless it had been boiled beforehand.

3. We use tap water for cooking. 

4. We use bottled water to make ice.

5. We have a basic water filter purchased locally. 

6. We would keep a large container of "supermarket" water handy at all times (although I get a trifle concerned about the "salt" that it contains sometimes).

alun1955

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 6:40pm

Posts: 12

18 helpful points

Location: Vera Playa

Joined: 19 Aug 2020

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 6:40pm

When ever visiting mainland Spain and the Canaries, (plus the rest of the world) we have just boiled the drinking water. For cooking, cleaning teeth etc, just straight from the tap. This has worked fine for the last 30 years.

johanna

Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2020 8:30am

johanna

Helpful member

Posts: 90

71 helpful points

Location: Mojacar

Joined: 15 Jan 2018

Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2020 8:30am

All tapwater in Spain is save to drink regarding to bacteries, it just might taste awful. Therefore I use a tapfilter. It takes out the particles, basicly minerals and heavy metals, but not the bacteries, which is not needed. It is very easy to install, you just put it on the tap and it works with a switch to run the water through the filter or direct from the system. I use it now for three years and works perfectly.

janboon

Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2020 8:53am

janboon

Helpful member

Posts: 175

123 helpful points

Location: Albox

Joined: 5 Mar 2018

Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2020 8:53am

I was told by my Doctor here in Spain not to drink the water. We have a filter which we use and we cook and make hot drinks with tap water. I buy the 6 litre bottles and fill small bottles from it and refrigerate so I always have cold drinking water if we or visitors want it.

Advertisement - posts continue below

juanida

Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2020 10:18pm

juanida

Very helpful member

Posts: 730

537 helpful points

Location: Sorbas

Joined: 25 Feb 2017

Posted: Sat Sep 26, 2020 10:18pm

Agnete wrote on Fri Sep 25, 2020 10:40am:

Hi all, I moved to Carboneras six weeks ago and have now decided to stay, and received my 12 month tenancy agreement. I don't want to continue having to buy these huge lumps of plastic (6l water bottles). On my previous stays in Spain I was always in hotels where there were signs next to the bath...

...room taps saying "not drinking water", so I assumed it might be the same but I have realised I don't actually know 

1. whether tap water is fine to drink

2. if not, why not and can, whatever the problem is, be remedied by simply boiling then filtering the water

4. if so, does anyone know what kind of filter I need, or is there only one kind

If no one really knows, I will ask the council. Have to go see them for the Padron registration anyway. If I find out I will post here. 

Thanks :)

Hi Agnete

I personally would not drink the water here because it tastes awful and you cannot make a decent cup of coffee or tea if you use tap water.  The water in this part of Spain is very hard which you will notice when you wash your hair and clothing and I don't know of any spaniard who actually drinks it - and the spanish drink a lot of water but bottled of course!  Although many British and Irish people do use tap water in their tea, generally we are not a race renowned for our refined palates which is why water is rarely taken on its own without mixing it with synthetic concentrates such as orange or lemon squashes which hide the real flavour of the water if it is not very nice.  Having said that, I do often use tap water for soups or stews and always for boiling eggs, potatos etc and of course, to wash my teeth.  Mercadona could deliver to your apartment, so you wouldn't have to worry about climbing stairs with heavy shopping bags and water can be bought in cartons or blue glass bottles but sadly that's the more expensive stuff!

chrisso50

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 9:52am

chrisso50

Super helpful member

Posts: 1106

1334 helpful points

Location: Roquetas de Mar

Joined: 23 Jul 2018

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 9:52am

janboon wrote on Sat Sep 26, 2020 8:53am:

I was told by my Doctor here in Spain not to drink the water. We have a filter which we use and we cook and make hot drinks with tap water. I buy the 6 litre bottles and fill small bottles from it and refrigerate so I always have cold drinking water if we or visitors want it.

The water quality is perfectly safe! But it’s desalinated and not nice to drink. Fine for everything else! I was advised by someone that if you keep it in a jug in the fridge it’s OK - but it still tasted horrid. We use the large plastic bottled water but not Mercadona’s cheapest as that leaves a residue in the kettle. Bottled water just for drinking is a way of life here now but it does generate a huge amount of plastic waste.

Chris

johanna

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 10:25am

johanna

Helpful member

Posts: 90

71 helpful points

Location: Mojacar

Joined: 15 Jan 2018

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 10:25am

chrisso50 wrote on Sun Sep 27, 2020 9:52am:

The water quality is perfectly safe! But it’s desalinated and not nice to drink. Fine for everything else! I was advised by someone that if you keep it in a jug in the fridge it’s OK - but it still tasted horrid. We use the large plastic bottled water but not Mercadona’s cheapest as that le...

...aves a residue in the kettle. Bottled water just for drinking is a way of life here now but it does generate a huge amount of plastic waste.

Chris

So, to help the environment and enjoy fresh tasty water, just put a filter on your tap. https://tappwater.co/en/
It is really very easy to install and I counted that for my use (living single) it's more or less the same cost as buying plastic bottles. So sharing it is even cheaper than buying bottles.

jtp890

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 12:12pm

jtp890

Helpful member

Posts: 466

317 helpful points

Location: Huércal-Overa

Joined: 15 Aug 2017

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 12:12pm

Rent a house near a fuente, e celle t quality and tested regularly 

James 

hartcjhart

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 11:42pm

hartcjhart

Very helpful member

Posts: 1071

924 helpful points

Location: Mojacar

Joined: 26 Oct 2017

Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2020 11:42pm

NOT all tap water is safe,if you boil it you can use for cooking/etc as has been said most villages have a 'fuente' that you can re-fill bottles from just look at the Spanish

supermarket bottled water is fine,BUT, if using for tea etc then you must empty the kettle every time and fill with fresh the same in the UK

Sign up for free or login to reply to this topic

Want to reply to this topic? Login or register for free to post your message:

Find more Utilities topics from a particular area:


Register for free!

Login to your account

Have Tools Will Travel
Grupo Platinum Estates
UK DIRECT REMOVALS
Mini Digger Almera
ASSSA Insurance
Advertise your business here
Advertise your property
Help with my computer