Tap water is the most strictly controlled foodstuff in Germany. It is drinkable from every tap, with very different hardness from region to region, and the country still has one of the largest bottled water markets in the world.
The short answer
Yes, drinkable everywhere
Aquaviana’s advice
- Let the tap run for a moment in the morning, and in buildings from before 1973 watch out for lead pipes.
- Check the hardness with your water supplier and set your washing machine and coffee machine accordingly.
- Most large cities have public drinking fountains, and refill shops are recognisable by a blue sticker.
Where the water comes from
Around 70 per cent of German drinking water comes from groundwater and springs, the rest from reservoirs, lakes (Lake Constance for Stuttgart and large parts of Württemberg) and bank filtrate from large rivers such as the Rhine and the Elbe. That explains the differences: Berlin, Munich, Cologne and Franconia drink hard groundwater, while Dresden, Wuppertal and parts of the Harz foreland get soft reservoir water. Twelve cities are covered in detail under Regions.
How it is monitored
The Drinking Water Ordinance (Trinkwasserverordnung) with over 50 limit values, daily to weekly samples taken by the suppliers and oversight by the public health offices make tap water the most heavily tested foodstuff. Over 99 per cent of all samples meet the limits. Responsibility ends at the water meter in the house, and after that what counts is the plumbing in the building, see Old pipes.
Bottle culture
Even so, Germans drink more than 120 litres of bottled water per head per year, more than almost any other country in Europe, and about three quarters of it is carbonated. “Medium” (lightly sparkling) is the typical German compromise. A deposit on almost all bottles, reusable crates and the soda maker as a kitchen appliance are peculiarities that you will hardly find anywhere else.
In restaurants
There is no right to free tap water. Many venues bring it on request, some charge a small amount, and others refuse and point to the menu. Asking politely helps, and a surcharge of one to two euros is usual.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drink from the tap everywhere in Germany, including on trains or at campsites?
Not on trains, where the water in the toilets is non-drinking water. At campsites the drinking water taps are labelled, and other taps may carry service water that is not for drinking.
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