Can I drink the tap water in Alicante?
First of all, yes. Although the tap water has a bad reputation it generally meets strict EU and WHO standards. It may however taste poor due to chlorination and hardness, but this does not impact health. In the few cases where these quality targets are not met, people are warned not to drink the water.
Many people choose bottled water due to taste preference. If you don’t like the taste or want to reduce water hardness, then try a water filter such as TAPP 1 .
Below is a more detailed overview on tap water, bottled water and other drinking water for the region.
Tap water
The Alicante area is classified as semi-arid, with scarce and irregular rainfall, no local surface water (lakes or rivers) and very high demand in the summer when the population increases from 335,000 to more than 800,000 at any time. The water is provided by Aguas de Alicante {link}.
The tap water comes from ground water aquifers (about 30% of supply), surface water bought from other regions (Taibilla and Tajo-Segura) and desalination plants. This combination makes it possible to meet supply, although there is always an inherent shortage.
The water coming out of the tap is hard, rich in minerals and usually has a high levels of chlorine to keep it safe. This means that it has a poor aftertaste for many people. Therefore a majority in the region drink bottled water.
Water quality is analysed daily according to strict EU standards. Results for the different water quality parameters in your area can be found on Aguas de Alicante free of charge.
Known issues are:
- People with very sensitive stomachs may experience some problems the first couple of days of drinking the water.
- According to OCU tests a few years ago the water also had THMs above the recommended levels. There are currently no issues with this.
- There have also been cases where the local authorities advised against drinking the local water due to temporary issues with the water supply. These have been fixed.
In summary, you can safely drink the tap water in Alicante. If you don’t like the taste then get a high quality water filter such as TAPP 1 which costs as little as €60 per year.
Bottled water
Historically Alicante had poor quality tap water, and therefore many people only drink bottled water today. However, this is no longer an issue as the tap water has vastly improved after Spain joined the EU.
Bottled water is generally safe to drink. Mineral water specifically is held to strict standards similar to tap water. When drinking bottled water, choose a local brand as this minimises the CO2 footprint of transportation.
Alicante also has good recycling facilities for plastic. The issue unfortunately is that most households and businesses don’t sort plastic properly and therefore 80% of plastic bottles end up in landfills and incineration plants. The plastic leeches and breaks down into micro-plastics, which eventually end up in rivers and oceans and animals, entering our own food chain.
The only real solution to reduce the environmental impact of plastics is to avoid plastic in the first place.
Water in public places, restaurants and bars
Most public places only serve bottled water, but will provide tap water if you ask for it. If you are going to buy bottled water, ask for glass if possible and refuse straws. There are many water fountains in and around Alicante and the water from these is safe to drink and meets the EU water quality standards, unless it says otherwise.
Conclusion
Despite warnings online and from locals, the tap water is as safe to drink as bottled water.
A couple of pro tips:
- If you’re worried about the quality then as for a report from the local water company or order a water quality testing kit online {link to other products website}
- Don’t like the taste of tap? Then buy a high quality home water filter like TAPP 1, save money and the environment
- Conserve water whenever you can, as the Alicante region always has water shortage
- Ask for tap water in bars and restaurants or water bottled in glass instead of plastic
Let us know if you have questions or comments. We are always happy to help. support@tappwater.co
