stanjudy

We will be in Tuscany in June for 10 days. Is is advisable to drink the tap water or should we stick to bottled water.

sheila

It's certainly safe.

And they have electricity and EVERYTHING

alanRow

Bring your own water for drinking & washing and flushing toilets

sallyjane3

Water? With all that great wine all around you??

londonengland

I don't think this is such a stupid question. Although the tap water is "safe" to drink the mineral content in it may upset some people. I have to say I personally prefer to drink bottled water whilst in Italy

lincasanova

i am glad the londonengland reconfirmed this is not such a stupid question.

i find it totally normal someone ask that if they are going somewhere they never have before.

however, if it has rained heavily, i wouldn't drink the tap water ANYwhere for many days.

what about the water in spain?
every visitor i have had has asked me if it is safe to drink the tap water here.

i tell them that I do, but who knows how their system will react. and i don't consider it a stupid question.

On a rare occasion there have been big problems in someplants and they have even recommended on T.V NOT to drink the water without boiling it, which can happen anywhere.

this type of ridicule is what keeps our children in school afraid to raise their hand lest their colleagues think they are dumb.

such is life.

kybourbon

Tap water is fine in Italy. You will see many fountains where you can refill your water bottles. Others will have signs saying acqua non potabile. These are not safe.

I think it's far more likely drinking wine will upset your stomach, if you aren't used to it.

Neopolitan

I'm always curious how those people who say that they drank the tap water and it upset their system knew it was caused by the tap water. Are these people saying they ate the exact same foods, did the same daily routine, and breathed the same air that they do everyday at home?

Intrepid1

They don't "know" (which you already "know&quot but what can you do?

Intrepid1

Sometimes the level of coliform bacteria in "foreign" drinking water, even though acceptable from a local public health standpoint, can cause temporary gut "issues" since it provides a change in what your body is used to dealing with. Filtered, bottled water is often an alternative which lessens the possibility.

wasleys

But how does londonengland know that the mineral content of a particular bottled water won't upset some people?

And why is lincasanova worried about heavy rainfall? It's not as if it's collected off a roof. Certainly in UK water can come from many miles away, a lot is ground water and, in any case, is likely to have been in the system for some time.

grsing

wasleys: depending on the sewer system, heavy rainfall can cause raw sewage to overflow into the system. Basically, you're drinking what you've already peed out. Not good. Though quite uncommon in any city with an at all modern sewage system (although a similar thing happens in DC; it doesn't go into the drinking water, but does go straight into the river).

ahotpoet

I always drink the tap water unless I don't like the taste. Considering all the crap they put in our water in Florida, I find Italian tap water refreshing, especially the stuff that comes from Roman street fountains.
Advisable? Dehydration sucks!

wally34949

Don't drink tap water in Russia. They even had a sign that said, don't brush your teeth with this water.

wasleys

grsing,

Obviously surface water can be contaminated by raw sewage at times even in the best regulated world, but that is precisely why we have water treatment systems to enure the supply is potable. There are some places where sewage and water treatment both leave much to be desired, but this is not the case in the area under discussion and lincasanova was talking about not drinking after heavy rain 'ANYwhere', which seems quite illogical. However it's not the pee that worries me (it's pretty sterile) it's the solid bits. And just think what the ducks probably do in the reservoirs.

I don't know much about the bottled water industry but I have heard that some of its products are not subject to such stringent controls as tap water and may have a higher bacteria count. And some is just bottled tap water any way. So perhaps the question should really be 'which bottles is it advisable to drink?'.;-)

grsing

Yeah, ANYwhere is definitely overreacting. If you couldn't drink tap water after rain, parts of the world just wouldn't have tap water (England & the Pacific NW come to mind). In Europe, if something extraordinary happens & the tap water becomes unsafe, I'm pretty sure that there would be no shortage of notice about it (the only place I've run into in Western Europe with unsafe tap water was a villa in Sardinia, but there were extremely clear signs that left no room for doubt).

lincasanova

yes..i shouldn't have said "anywhere".
my mind was in a local mode.. and basically referring to "anywhere over HERE" .. since tuscany was brought up..

"any remote area you are unfamiliar with" is what my intention was.

sheila

I was trying to be lighthearted to begin with but some of these responses are ludicrous.

The EU is not the developing world, you know?

LoveItaly

Hi stanjudy, most Italians order bottle water when at a restaurant or a cafe. Right after they all put their cells phone on the table (I am not joking!).

I have always drank the tap water in Italy and I have never had a problem. I have never had a problem with the bottled water either.

But everyone's system is different. If you are going to be renting an apartment or a villa and will consequently have a refrigerator you might enjoy have having some chilled bottled water for any hot days.

As far as the tap water I would try it if you are concerned..maybe just one glass at first and see how it agrees with you. Best wishes.

walkinaround

>>>>
The EU is not the developing world, you know?
>>>>

that means nothing...there are plenty of places in the developed world where it is not advisable to drink tap water.