How to know if tap water is safe

Checks are performed almost daily. 99,1 percent of all water delivered to our homes meets health standards. 98,4 percent meet quality standards. But Italians don't trust it...

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safe tap water

There is absolutely no safer water than that from our taps at home. The first report from the National Center for Water Safety of the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) examined 2,5 water samples from across the country and reached these conclusions: 99,1 percent of drinking water meets all health standards, while 98,4 percent meets quality indicators.

How are tap water tests done?

Tap water potability tests are of two types: internal and external. They are performed periodically. Internal tests are carried out by the company managing the service in the area. External tests are performed by the competent Local Health Authority (AUSL). Generally, the parameter values ​​are based on World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Risk assessments for substances not expressly listed in the 2001 law regulating the sector are performed by the Italian National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità).

What are the parameters monitored?

There are two types of parameters that are continuously monitored in tap water. The first concerns the presence of chemical pollutants, which also include natural compounds such as arsenic, boron, and lead. This group also includes checks for microplastics, which are increasingly widespread in the environment and therefore also in the water pathways that reach our taps. Then there are checks for microbiological parameters, which concern the possible presence of microorganisms, bacteria, and viruses in the water. Parameters such as pH, hardness, residual chlorine, bacteria (such as Escherichia coli ), and other substances are analyzed.

 Sources of pollution

Drinking water can be exposed to various sources of pollution, such as chemicals, bacteria, and viruses. These pollutants can come from a variety of sources, including agriculture, industry, domestic sewage, and precipitation.

Why Italians have little trust in public water

According to ISTAT (National Institute of Statistics), one in three Italians distrusts tap water. This level of distrust rises, even double, in some southern regions, such as Sicily, Sardinia, and Calabria; while it plummets in areas such as the provinces of Trento and Bolzano, the Aosta Valley, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Benefits of tap water

Once the safety aspect is clarified, tap water can be defined as the answer to a triple waste. First, we save money on purchasing bottled mineral water. Second, by avoiding bottled mineral water, we produce, consume, and dispose of (often in the wrong places) less plastic. Third, according to some research, manufacturing a PET bottle of mineral water, transporting it, and storing it in a cool place (usually the refrigerator) consumes approximately 2.000 times the energy needed to dispense the same amount of water from the tap as the bottle.

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