Reading the local tap water report

Is your tap water safe to drink?

Every water company or municipality in the EU is obliged to provide you with a water test report for your area 2 times per year. Most only provide by e-mail or post if you request it. The local water report will give a good indication about if the water from the water company is safe. But reading the report is not easy. In addition to this the water could still be contaminated due to pipes along the way to your home or in your building.

How do you read the water report?

So what are the water contaminents and information you should be looking for? Here’s some insights and tips on how to read it:

1. Source of the water: The report should state where the water comes from which will also provide you with additional insights on the quality of the water.
2. About the report: When the report was carried out, where and according to what standards. E.g. in Spain it’s based on analysis 140/2003
3. Reading the report: See details in the Water contamination and quality overview of what information to look for.
4. Potential health effects: The water company should state if there is any risk of health effects. Other than this it’s up to you to analyse the report if you have specific concerns about substances in the water.
5. Additional contact information: The report should provide contact info in case you have additional questions.

Please let us know if your local water company does not respond to your request for a report, if you need help reading it or if you have other questions regarding the water you have in your home.