Drinking tap water - is it healthy?
If you want to drink still water, you always have the choice between tap water from the tap or mineral water from the supermarket. We'll tell you which water is healthier.
Tap water: how healthy is it really?
- Tap water is probably the best tested and monitored food in Germany. The health department conducts regular inspections and the waterworks also continuously check the quality. In contrast to bottled water, controls are sometimes carried out daily, explains the Federal Environment Agency.
- The mineral content in tap water and mineral water differs only in a few regions. There are no major differences here, as the water from the tap naturally contains minerals.
- Please note that all previous information only relates to Germany. Different standards apply in other countries.
- If you have any doubts about the quality of tap water, there are also products that can be used to clean your water.
Tap water or mineral water - which is better?
- For some years now, the question of whether tap water is healthy has become less and less common, since instead doubts about mineral water are increasing. Although many consumers perceive it as pure, sometimes the opposite is the case.
- In some cases, strikingly high concentrations of uranium, arsenic and germs were measured in the mineral water (Öko-Test 2017). These are extremely dangerous for infants, but do not cause any noticeable harm to adults.
- However, small residues of medication can sometimes be found in drinking water: The residues of medication are difficult and not completely filtered out of our drinking water and reach the groundwater in low concentrations. According to the Stiftung Warentest, this is not a health concern.
Drink tap water: where better not?
- In German private households, drinking tap water is always safe. Pipe contamination that is harmful to health generally only occurs in very old houses and very rarely.
- Germs can only lurk in public facilities such as train stations, sports halls or town halls. The problem here is not in the water, but in the large number of people who touch the tap.
- You should only have real concerns if the water in the pipe has been in place for a few days. If you come back from vacation, for example, you should leave the tap on for a few seconds before you take out drinking water.
- But here, too, there are no really great dangers. Even exceeding the limit values is not considered a risk to your health. In Germany, you don't have to worry too much about the tap water.
Our tip: mineral water from the tap
- If you also want a little sparkling water, you can also make your tap water sparkling: The soda stream helps you to transform your tap water into sparkling water.
- By the way, with the Sodastream, you can do many other brilliant things.
Surf tip: Wirecutter drinking bottle test
In Germany you can usually drink tap water without hesitation and thus also cover part of your daily drinking water needs. You should also make sure to drink regularly while on the go. The easiest way is to simply take a filled water bottle with you.
- Unfortunately, with drinking bottles in particular, you often only know afterwards whether you have made a wrong purchase. So that you do not only notice on the first hike that your bottle is not completely leakproof, our CHIP partner Wirecutter put 79 drinking bottles of various types through their paces.
- In the detailed test report you will find a large selection of models for different usage needs. You will also read which bottle did the best and lots of other information that can help you make a purchase decision.
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Next, you should know how to soften calcareous water at home.