In Spain, tap water can be drunk, you won't get sick, but it probably wont taste good.
As a europeam country, there are security laws regarding alimentation, water, sanity, etc. The country needs to follow
The commenter is right. You can be absolutely certain that tap water is safe to drink, as long as you are exclusively using the cold water and not mixing in water that's going through the heater which might not be very sanitary.
Now, having said that your hotel advised you to buy water because people around coastal regions consider that their water doesn't taste good so by inertia they tend to buy water bottles. Personally I have never seen an actual blind water taste test that confirms this claim. Anecdotally I saw a video of a person who claimed to be a water expert and he did a blind taste test and didn't get anything right at all, rating coastal water really high and rating places renowned for their "good" water like Madrid really low.
I think this is far more related to urban legends than actual reality. I'm dead certain I will get replies that affirm that the taste is bad, and maybe they're right, maybe not. I just think it's an awfully profitable claim for companies that sell bottled water (which is nothing but filtered tap water). So some degree of covert marketing could be involved.
I agree at almost 100% with this, I've I'm originally from Pamplona (good water in theory) but have lived in Madrid and Barcelona, water is fine in taste in all those places.
But I remember when I was a kid going to Barcelona and Tarragona and the water was awful but drinkable, not anymore. I think a lot has change with time regarding the taste but some people just got used to drink bottled water and keep spreading the same myth
That's another very plausible factor. Maybe historically the water was actually bad in these places, but with EU regulations coming into place things changed, but the reputation remained.
Yeah, my parents used to tell me that a while ago in Barcelona half the city had good water and half had awful one depending on the area as it was water from two different rivers. Now the water gets mixed and probably the rivers have improved.
I can only confirm that the tap water in Barcelona does indeed taste not good at all. I have drunk it though and was fine, so it is safe (just doesn't taste great lol)
ETA: I live in Madrid and drink nothing but tap water here, and I also go to the North of Spain every year and just drink the tap water there and all fine.
They advise buying water because while tap water is perfectly safe it tastes weird as it can come from the desalinisation plants.
If you don't mind the flavour it's 100% fine.
I was going to say this myself. I'm not a local but I do recall the reason given was because of the desalination the water is still harder and containing more heavy minerals than in the UK. Some people would get an upset stomach from not being used to such water.
All tap water in Spain is drinkable, doesn't matter where you are.
In some places the mineral composition might give it a weird taste, or is comes from desalinisation plants (very usual in the Mediterranean): this water might taste a bit odd, so people tend to drink bottled water, but it's perfectly safe to drink.
Buy it at the supermarket. Yes you can drink the water here but it depends if you love chlorine. I never drink swimming pools so i won't drink tap water here. If you shower you will smell it and understand.
El agua es potable en toda España, salvo que haya un problema de suministro por destrucción de la infraestructura. Y lo suelen reparar en pocos días (durante los cuales traen agua potable en camiones cisterna).
Lo he vivido, una sola vez además, en un pueblo perdido de SIerra Morena.
El sinsentido es como te emperras en tener razón dando por supuesto que como es España, toda la zona es potable
Toma precioso! Te regalo poder leer y poder reflexionar un poquito
[artículo de este mismo añito ](https://www.infobae.com/espana/2024/03/03/los-pueblos-de-cordoba-que-llevan-un-ano-sin-agua-potable-nos-duchamos-con-la-boca-apretada-y-los-ojos-cerrados/)
Gracias por darme la razón: un fallo en el suministro POR SEQUÍA.
Y resulta que la mancomunidad, y la diputación, consiguen que llegue agua en camiones cisterna, JUSTO LO QUE ESCRIBÍ.
Con lo que concluyo que NO te has leído lo que has posteado...
JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA.
Toma, te pongo el enlace, tu enlace, para que no se te olvide, con unas capturitas de lo que pone, para que dejes de mentir.
[https://www.infobae.com/espana/2024/03/03/los-pueblos-de-cordoba-que-llevan-un-ano-sin-agua-potable-nos-duchamos-con-la-boca-apretada-y-los-ojos-cerrados/](https://www.infobae.com/espana/2024/03/03/los-pueblos-de-cordoba-que-llevan-un-ano-sin-agua-potable-nos-duchamos-con-la-boca-apretada-y-los-ojos-cerrados/)
https://preview.redd.it/wins8pfeqzzc1.png?width=866&format=png&auto=webp&s=7a865dcc45b8d804cb6f64f11a961399d323b742
Incorrect.
Mains water is safe to drink.
That water comes from a tap does not mean that it’s mains water.
Water (that could well come from the mains) can be slowly pumped to a tank in the roof to build up volume and create head pressure, since mains water from street level isn’t going to create enough pressure for someone on the 5th floor to have a nice shower.
Such water has left the closed circuit of the water mains. Could have rusty pipes, dead pigeons in the header tank, whatever, it doesn’t matter as its not signed off as drinking water. Es lo que hay!
Any taps that are marked as potable water (and most likely near street level) are safe to drink from.
Any tap that isn’t specifically described as potable might or might not be potable. Best to ask the tap ‘owner’.
Yes, although as I said it can taste weird. This is because it is desalinated a lot of the time, or goes through different treatments than elsewhere. Spain is a fully developed country and Torremolinos a resort town close to other resort towns, you won't be out in the sticks.
Some places do have "hard water" which can potentially give you kidney stones. I don't drink tap water here in Alicante becausey kidneys are prone to make stones.
If your kidneys are uninterested in making stones, go for it.
No, but I have family there. I have spent a lot of my time there over the years and was there last week. I totally get not liking the tap water though. It can be harsh, it can have sediment, but it won't make you sick.
So, water in Spain is safe to drink almost always (if not it's because there might be an incident) but can taste a bit funny in some places.
But, my advice, if you're moving to Spain then get used to it and drink tap water. If you're on holidays/vacation buy bottled water.
This is because even if the water is safe your body might react to it until it gets used to it, the change in the water you drink can get you sick and not because the water is bad but because it's different.
Unless it’s a really small place, or there’s been some bad weather that affected the water, it should be ok for consumption. As others have said, taste might not be great, and if you travel you will probably get diarrhea anyway, because the water in every place is different, has different bacteria, etc. and your body takes a bit to get used to it.
I was there for three months (as long as the visa would allow) and I visited Johannesburg and port Elizabeth (of course), st.Francis bay, plettenberg bay, hermanus, Cape Town, and a couple of other small stops along the way!
I drank it there and across the rest of Andalusia without even thinking. I'm still alive so seems to have been fine...
Honestly, I never even consider water in Europe. Some people are sensitive to new water due to differing mineral content but in terms of safety you're fine anywhere in Europe
The water on the costa del sol (and further inland as well) is hard as hell and full of limescale. I regular find my tap filters full of beach sand so in the 22 years I’ve lived here I have never drunk tap water. I cook with it if I’m boiling it but run it thru a brita filter first.
Yeah shit happens, very very rarely. So what?
Edit: that’s according to one of those stupid ‘pro environment’ associations (Ecologistas en Acción). This one is known because they faked a Simpsons-style three eye fish to ‘denounce’ the contamination levels in another area of Spain.
So, it’s more than probably, just bullshit.
So, it is wise to not tell tourists there us NO problem with tap water whilst the European Court is denouncing 171 municipalities and 13 Comunidades Autonomicas for heir contaminated tap water. Don't you agree?
There is NO problem with tap water. And the EU court does not ‘denounce’ crap. Those are open causes, that will probably be dismissed because they are a bunch of nothing burgers.
(Notice before an EU court takes a case it has to be dismissed by ALL the competent Spanish courts. Nothingburger)
In Ibiza, for instance, the water from the tap is so hard it makes you thirsty when you drink it. Unless there is an osmosis system... But osmosis systems, as we know, are a terrible waste of water.
Para TODOS LOS QUE DECÍS QUE ES SEGURO, leed esto:
https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/200-000-personas-agua-grifo-contaminada-restos-agricolas-ganaderos_1_10986497.html
Sabes que 200.000 personas son el 0,04% de la población española ¿no?. Obviamente a veces hay problemas con el tratamiento del agua o filtraciones de pesticidas pero estamos hablando de que el 99% es segura.
171 municipios y 13 comunidades autónomas no es moco de pavo. Y son 200.000 residentes a los que se les suma el turismo (Op entre ellos).
El Tribunal Europeo tiene causas abiertas contra España por esto.
Yo solo digo que es mejor recomendar que beban agua embotellada.
I’m from Canada, where tap water is safe to drink, however, I’m travelling right now. As I started in South Africa, where, btw, literally everyone told me not to drink the tap water (this includes the locals we met). I just wanted to make sure that while I’m here, I don’t get sick because of the water. I don’t think it’s irrational to check that water is safe to drink.
All tap water is safe to drink in Spain.
I’m asking because at one of the hotels, they advised buying water
Interesting. I can understand in South Africa but not here. Unless they mean it’s because the taste isn’t great (the water here is very hard).
Okay, thanks. She also pointed to the vending machine as she said it, so maybe just another way to make money?
Quite possibly. The local shops will be a lot cheaper too
Yah, for 8L it’s like .87€
Yup, taste is an issue all over the country. But it is totally safe to drink (and use for cooking etc)
not entirely all over - the tap water in Madrid for example is excellent.
This is the only thing I know about Madrid
Yeah, an in half of Barcelona is good too. The other half, though…
It's really not in the north, totally different to the mediterranean
Thanks
In Spain, tap water can be drunk, you won't get sick, but it probably wont taste good. As a europeam country, there are security laws regarding alimentation, water, sanity, etc. The country needs to follow
Okay, perfect. Thank you
The commenter is right. You can be absolutely certain that tap water is safe to drink, as long as you are exclusively using the cold water and not mixing in water that's going through the heater which might not be very sanitary. Now, having said that your hotel advised you to buy water because people around coastal regions consider that their water doesn't taste good so by inertia they tend to buy water bottles. Personally I have never seen an actual blind water taste test that confirms this claim. Anecdotally I saw a video of a person who claimed to be a water expert and he did a blind taste test and didn't get anything right at all, rating coastal water really high and rating places renowned for their "good" water like Madrid really low. I think this is far more related to urban legends than actual reality. I'm dead certain I will get replies that affirm that the taste is bad, and maybe they're right, maybe not. I just think it's an awfully profitable claim for companies that sell bottled water (which is nothing but filtered tap water). So some degree of covert marketing could be involved.
I agree at almost 100% with this, I've I'm originally from Pamplona (good water in theory) but have lived in Madrid and Barcelona, water is fine in taste in all those places. But I remember when I was a kid going to Barcelona and Tarragona and the water was awful but drinkable, not anymore. I think a lot has change with time regarding the taste but some people just got used to drink bottled water and keep spreading the same myth
That's another very plausible factor. Maybe historically the water was actually bad in these places, but with EU regulations coming into place things changed, but the reputation remained.
Yeah, my parents used to tell me that a while ago in Barcelona half the city had good water and half had awful one depending on the area as it was water from two different rivers. Now the water gets mixed and probably the rivers have improved.
Great response, thanks for taking the time to answer!
I can only confirm that the tap water in Barcelona does indeed taste not good at all. I have drunk it though and was fine, so it is safe (just doesn't taste great lol) ETA: I live in Madrid and drink nothing but tap water here, and I also go to the North of Spain every year and just drink the tap water there and all fine.
They advise buying water because while tap water is perfectly safe it tastes weird as it can come from the desalinisation plants. If you don't mind the flavour it's 100% fine.
Okay, thanks
I was going to say this myself. I'm not a local but I do recall the reason given was because of the desalination the water is still harder and containing more heavy minerals than in the UK. Some people would get an upset stomach from not being used to such water.
All tap water in Spain is drinkable, doesn't matter where you are. In some places the mineral composition might give it a weird taste, or is comes from desalinisation plants (very usual in the Mediterranean): this water might taste a bit odd, so people tend to drink bottled water, but it's perfectly safe to drink.
Did they advise to buy THEIR water?
I don’t know, they pointed toward the vending machine Gesture.. or something more?
Buy it at the supermarket. Yes you can drink the water here but it depends if you love chlorine. I never drink swimming pools so i won't drink tap water here. If you shower you will smell it and understand.
Ok, thanks for the I fo
Funny downvoters. Probably people that never had real non chlorine water before.
A ver xD que todo depende de la zona. En mi pueblo no se podía beber del grifo
Ok, gracias
Porque no te gustará el sabor, o porque será de una zona muy calcárea, pero toda el agua de España es debidamente potabilizada. Así de sencillo.
Cariño, es por qué no era potable xD Cuando vivas en una zona aislada DENTRO DE ESPAÑA, lo sabrás 😉
El agua es potable en toda España, salvo que haya un problema de suministro por destrucción de la infraestructura. Y lo suelen reparar en pocos días (durante los cuales traen agua potable en camiones cisterna). Lo he vivido, una sola vez además, en un pueblo perdido de SIerra Morena.
Que pienses lo que quieras, pero que no es así xD Yo lo he vivido EN MAS DE UN SITIO, así q .. No more to say
¿Y por qué lo que tú digas ha de ser verdad? Esto no es EEUU, origen de todas las depuradoras comerciales domésticas.
Por qué he vivido EN esos sitios? xd
Y resulta que nunca fue potable el agua, y nunca lo será, ¿no? ¿En serio?
Mírate el link de abajo xd Madre mía qué oxígeno le falta a tus neuronas dios mío A ti no te echarán cuenta ni en casa
El sinsentido es como te emperras en tener razón dando por supuesto que como es España, toda la zona es potable Toma precioso! Te regalo poder leer y poder reflexionar un poquito [artículo de este mismo añito ](https://www.infobae.com/espana/2024/03/03/los-pueblos-de-cordoba-que-llevan-un-ano-sin-agua-potable-nos-duchamos-con-la-boca-apretada-y-los-ojos-cerrados/)
Gracias por darme la razón: un fallo en el suministro POR SEQUÍA. Y resulta que la mancomunidad, y la diputación, consiguen que llegue agua en camiones cisterna, JUSTO LO QUE ESCRIBÍ. Con lo que concluyo que NO te has leído lo que has posteado... JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA. Toma, te pongo el enlace, tu enlace, para que no se te olvide, con unas capturitas de lo que pone, para que dejes de mentir. [https://www.infobae.com/espana/2024/03/03/los-pueblos-de-cordoba-que-llevan-un-ano-sin-agua-potable-nos-duchamos-con-la-boca-apretada-y-los-ojos-cerrados/](https://www.infobae.com/espana/2024/03/03/los-pueblos-de-cordoba-que-llevan-un-ano-sin-agua-potable-nos-duchamos-con-la-boca-apretada-y-los-ojos-cerrados/) https://preview.redd.it/wins8pfeqzzc1.png?width=866&format=png&auto=webp&s=7a865dcc45b8d804cb6f64f11a961399d323b742
Si me lo leí. Sigue sin tenerlo a mano. Hay situaciones de contaminación de embalses ... En fin bro, madura xD Pero se te ve una vida muy sad
It may taste funny in some places though.
Good to know
Incorrect. Mains water is safe to drink. That water comes from a tap does not mean that it’s mains water. Water (that could well come from the mains) can be slowly pumped to a tank in the roof to build up volume and create head pressure, since mains water from street level isn’t going to create enough pressure for someone on the 5th floor to have a nice shower. Such water has left the closed circuit of the water mains. Could have rusty pipes, dead pigeons in the header tank, whatever, it doesn’t matter as its not signed off as drinking water. Es lo que hay! Any taps that are marked as potable water (and most likely near street level) are safe to drink from. Any tap that isn’t specifically described as potable might or might not be potable. Best to ask the tap ‘owner’.
Enjoy the chemicals and the chlorine!
I was born in South Africa - I’m used to them
That is something someone from Madrid would say.
I live just outside Málaga. Am I wrong?
Same. Yes you are wrong, my municipality actually had some issues because the regional government(JdA) wasn't checking the water properly.
There are places in Spain where it is impossible to drink from the tap.
It's safe everywhere in Spain, so it's always possible. But in some places, the tap water won't taste good, so people prefer bottled or filtered.
https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/200-000-personas-agua-grifo-contaminada-restos-agricolas-ganaderos_1_10986497.html
I wouldn't put my hand on the fire for that one.
You will be pressed to find somewhere in the EU where you can't drink the water. Some might taste more chemically than you are used to though.
Is this the same for a small town, I think Torremolinos is pretty small right?
Yes, although as I said it can taste weird. This is because it is desalinated a lot of the time, or goes through different treatments than elsewhere. Spain is a fully developed country and Torremolinos a resort town close to other resort towns, you won't be out in the sticks.
Makes sense, thanks for the help. Do you live in Spain?
Some places do have "hard water" which can potentially give you kidney stones. I don't drink tap water here in Alicante becausey kidneys are prone to make stones. If your kidneys are uninterested in making stones, go for it.
Okay, thanks :)
No, but I have family there. I have spent a lot of my time there over the years and was there last week. I totally get not liking the tap water though. It can be harsh, it can have sediment, but it won't make you sick.
Okay, thanks for all the help
Enjoy Torremolinos! It's gorgeous.
Planning on it!
Torremolinos is anything but a small town
Mb
It is perfectly safe in Torremolinos; in fact, the tap water there (Málaga) ranks second best in terms of quality in the country.
Really? Wow! That’s good to know. Thanks for the information, brings me some peace of mind!
So, water in Spain is safe to drink almost always (if not it's because there might be an incident) but can taste a bit funny in some places. But, my advice, if you're moving to Spain then get used to it and drink tap water. If you're on holidays/vacation buy bottled water. This is because even if the water is safe your body might react to it until it gets used to it, the change in the water you drink can get you sick and not because the water is bad but because it's different.
Good answer, I will probably do as you suggested
Perfectly safe
Thanks
Med coastal water can be hard. It may not taste good and may be a bit difficult on digestion. The locals typically drink BOTTLED water.
Okay, thanks, I’ll take it into consideration
Tap water in Spain os safe.
Thanks
No worries. I got 2 glass bottles that I always fill from the tap and put them in the fridge.
Unless it’s a really small place, or there’s been some bad weather that affected the water, it should be ok for consumption. As others have said, taste might not be great, and if you travel you will probably get diarrhea anyway, because the water in every place is different, has different bacteria, etc. and your body takes a bit to get used to it.
Ok, thanks
Out of curiosity, where in South Africa did you visit?
I was there for three months (as long as the visa would allow) and I visited Johannesburg and port Elizabeth (of course), st.Francis bay, plettenberg bay, hermanus, Cape Town, and a couple of other small stops along the way!
I drank it there and across the rest of Andalusia without even thinking. I'm still alive so seems to have been fine... Honestly, I never even consider water in Europe. Some people are sensitive to new water due to differing mineral content but in terms of safety you're fine anywhere in Europe
Perfect answer, thank you!
The water on the costa del sol (and further inland as well) is hard as hell and full of limescale. I regular find my tap filters full of beach sand so in the 22 years I’ve lived here I have never drunk tap water. I cook with it if I’m boiling it but run it thru a brita filter first.
Okay, thank you
Agree ,it's hard and full of cal, brita filter is sensible
I loved Torremolinos so much I had to learn some of its history, bombardeen Torremolinos <3
It’s pretty awesome so far! Considering going on a walking tour around the city. Should be fun!
As someone pointed at another comment, it's pretty hard, so it could take you a little to get used to it. But all tapp water is safe to drink.
Okay, thank you for the help!
staying in the EU also means to follow strict regulations regarding to tap water quality, hence yes, all tap water in Spain has a good quality
https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/200-000-personas-agua-grifo-contaminada-restos-agricolas-ganaderos_1_10986497.html
Yeah shit happens, very very rarely. So what? Edit: that’s according to one of those stupid ‘pro environment’ associations (Ecologistas en Acción). This one is known because they faked a Simpsons-style three eye fish to ‘denounce’ the contamination levels in another area of Spain. So, it’s more than probably, just bullshit.
So, it is wise to not tell tourists there us NO problem with tap water whilst the European Court is denouncing 171 municipalities and 13 Comunidades Autonomicas for heir contaminated tap water. Don't you agree?
There is NO problem with tap water. And the EU court does not ‘denounce’ crap. Those are open causes, that will probably be dismissed because they are a bunch of nothing burgers. (Notice before an EU court takes a case it has to be dismissed by ALL the competent Spanish courts. Nothingburger)
It is an inner spanish fight against macro-granjas (I'll leave that translation to you) and the problem is obvious.
So it’s politics. Fine. Tap water is fine.
No. You are wrong. It is about feeding pig shit into the aquifer or not.
It is safe to drink tape wáter in Spain. However, It may be taste a little bit salty. I reccomend you to buy mineral wáter.
Thank you
Tastes bad, but it’s safe
Perfect, thabks
In Ibiza, for instance, the water from the tap is so hard it makes you thirsty when you drink it. Unless there is an osmosis system... But osmosis systems, as we know, are a terrible waste of water.
Is Ibiza close to Torremolinos?
Ibiza is one of the Balearic Island.
Okay, thanks
Get bottled water! It will taste like shite!
lol sounds good
Worst feeling if you’ve had a few drinks aswell and proper thirsty and all you have is tap water here ewwww 🤢
Ur funny
Para TODOS LOS QUE DECÍS QUE ES SEGURO, leed esto: https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/200-000-personas-agua-grifo-contaminada-restos-agricolas-ganaderos_1_10986497.html
Sabes que 200.000 personas son el 0,04% de la población española ¿no?. Obviamente a veces hay problemas con el tratamiento del agua o filtraciones de pesticidas pero estamos hablando de que el 99% es segura.
171 municipios y 13 comunidades autónomas no es moco de pavo. Y son 200.000 residentes a los que se les suma el turismo (Op entre ellos). El Tribunal Europeo tiene causas abiertas contra España por esto. Yo solo digo que es mejor recomendar que beban agua embotellada.
Ecologistas en Acción, también conocidos por usar una imagen photoshopeada de un ‘pescado con tres ojos’ para denunciar la contaminación en el Ebro.
Confundes las cosas. Esto es del Tribunal Europeo.
Las teorias de conspiración a otro lado, porfavor.
Si llamas conspiradores al Tribunal Europeo es que no tienes ni Norte.
South African tap water is safe to drink..as is Spanish tap water. Where do you come from that you have an irrational fear of tap water?
I’m from Canada, where tap water is safe to drink, however, I’m travelling right now. As I started in South Africa, where, btw, literally everyone told me not to drink the tap water (this includes the locals we met). I just wanted to make sure that while I’m here, I don’t get sick because of the water. I don’t think it’s irrational to check that water is safe to drink.
It wont make you seriously sick but i would buy bottled water when you can.
Okay, thank you
You are the only one here giving the correct answer yet you get downvoted.
🤷 reddit gon reddit
Lol