For context, I live in Hong Kong where most people drink tap water after boiling first. Some may install water filter but may still boil the water. Very few drink bottle water unless they’re outside and too lazy to bring their own bottles.
Now, I’m researching whether I can drink tap water in Iceland (I’m going there in August), and while it looks like the answer is affirmative, almost no web article mention whether I need to boil the water first. People in Japan (a country I’ve visited a few times) also seems to be used to drink tap water directly without boiling.
The further I searched, the more it seems to me that in developed countries (like US, Canada and the above examples), tap water is safe to drink directly. Is that true? Do you drink tap water without boiling?
It sounds like a stupid question but I just can’t believe what I saw. I think I experienced a cultural shock.
Edit: wow, thanks so much for the responses and sorry if I didnt reply to each one of you but I’ll upvote as much as as I can. Never thought so many would reply and Lemmy is a really great community.
2nd Edit: So in conclusion, people from everywhere basically just drink water straight out of tap. And to my surprise, I checked the Water Supplies Department website and notice it asserts that tap water in Hong Kong is potable, like many well-developed countries and regions.
However, as the majority of Hong Kong people are living in high-rise buildings, a small amount of residual chlorine is maintained in the water to keep it free from bacterial infection during its journey in the distribution system. Therefore it is recommended to boil the water so that chlorine dissipates.
So, in short, I actually do not need to boil the water unless I hate chlorine smell and taste. But I guess I’ll just continue this old habit/tradition as there’s no harm in doing so.
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US here. Yes, can confirm I can, and do drink water from the tap without boiling. The city provides, maintains, and regularly checks the safety of the water. Notices are put out if something damages the pipes and a “water boiling” policy is put out promptly over local radio and/or newspaper.
It depends on where you live in the US for sure. Not everywhere has drinkable water. And even more places have poor-tasting or very hard tap water.
Lol, I was you 10 years ago. For context I’m Malaysian and we only drink water that is first filtered and then boiled. When eating outside we generally avoid iced drinks unless it’s a reputable shop.
Then I moved to Australia and reacted with utter horror to see my then-bf drink straight from the tap. I was like wtf you’re going to get parasites! Spit it out!
Now I drink water like Aussies and my kid refills her bottle from the tap too. My parents, when they visit, still boil water to drink but they’ve at least stopped thinking we’re trying to murder their grandchild.
In the US, the only time you’d have to boil water before drinking in most places is if there’s something wrong with the water system and they put out a “boil water” advisory, and that’s pretty rare. It’s definitely not something you have to on a daily basis. Some people will use water filters but it’s not usually a necessity.
Very true. However in the less urban areas there is often well water which varies by jurisdiction from drinkable to toxic (even flammable!) Also some places in the US have water that is unsafe to use even if it was boiled. Usually water is handled on the local level and can be different depending on the local government’s ability, wisdom, and funding.
Berlin, Germany: we drink water straight from the tap. It’s free and delicious. If you don’t feel like drinking tap, just drink a “Berliner Rohrperle”. It’s the same thing with a fancier name, because our tap water is awesome.
Nowadays we even have public drinking fountains dotted around the city.
What do you mean “free”? :D
Sure… it’s far from expensive, but it’s not really “free” as in “you don’t have to pay for your tapwater”.
True, it does cost about 0.2 cents per liter, so you’ll likely pay less than 2€ a year if you exclusively drink tapwater.
I read a research paper that tested water throughout Ukraine, showing that lead, mercury and other toxic stuff were within standards, but even so I buy bottled water as does everyone I know
Canada - Many people here put water in the fridge or a britta jug to get rid of the chlorine taste
If you can’t drink your tap water without boiling, your government has totally failed you.
Netherlands: our tap water is better than bottled spring water
UK. Yip. Water “hardness” varies across the country which means people usually prefer the taste of the water in the region they grow up in. Other than all the leaky underground pipes and lack of investment in a privatised service, UK water is actaully very good.
Portugal here.
Safe to drink tap water everywhere, as far as I know, and public fountains (they usually have a metal sheet saying if it is potable or “not tested regularly”.
Depends on the Municipality/Town Halls.
Where I live we have like 5 or 6 public fountains per square km, some with public tanks to wash clothes like old school).
Story time tough, and applicable to the conversation:
I went through a Leukemia and the marrow transplant.
5 months after the transplant I went to Lisbon (I live in the north) to see family.
I took a shower after arriving, and my skin reacted very poorly.
The reaction was so strong, the transplant almost didn’t take.
I had to take high doses of cortisol (and other treatments) that fucked up my bones (3 protheses now. Right elbow and the 2 femur heads)
The doctors in IPO (oncology hospital) explained that the skin is the biggest organ in the body and where i live the terrain is more Granitic in nature, my skin was used to water here in the north, and the further south you go in Portugal, the more Calcaric (limestone/calcário) it is.
People in Lisbon have to use “Calgon” (product) in the washing machines, to clean the build up of limestone.
But they themselves are used to it.
People of the north (of course it depends on the person) showering in the south, tend to have dry skin and hair after the shower.
I’m sorry for the testament.
But it’s knowledge.
Stay safe.
Finland
Yes. Our tap water is among the cleanest on earth
When i lived in hongkong i never boiled the water, i just drank it from the tap
At home I exclusively drink tap water. I only boil it for tea sometimes :) I‘m from Germany.
In Germany tap water is considered “one of the most strictly controlled food products”
I’ve been to Iceland a few years ago. The tap water often had a strong smell of sulfur, especially in the capital, Reykjavik.
Maybe it’s still safe to drink, but the taste was not great. Even showering was not awesome.
Argentinian here, depends on the region of the country, in most places it’s safe to drink tap water although it usually has too much chlorine or in small rural cities like mine sometimes there’s a bacteria leak on the water so we prefer to buy bottled water