In Germany, strict rules apply to the quality of tap water.
These concern suppliers and their mandate to supply healthy tap water. Binding laws ensure high water quality throughout the country. These standards are publicly available and thus understandable for consumers. This is why criticism and questions repeatedly arise from this direction... Is tap water really equally healthy and safe to drink everywhere? Or does it make sense to test the quality and possibly "upgrade" the water? To answer these key questions, basic information on the topic of "Is tap water healthy?" is helpful. Consumers can also use certain options to monitor drinking water. We would like to elaborate on these points further.
What is tap water? - Compared to mineral water
Tap water refers to water that reaches consumers through pipes and tubes. The quality of tap water can be divided into drinking water and service water. Therefore, tap water is not automatically considered drinking water. This means that even non-potable tap water is considered tap water.
Compared to bottled mineral water, the legal situation is different. Mineral water providers often advertise with certifications of quality from well-known institutes. However, there are no requirements for mineral and table water as strict as those for the Drinking Water Ordinance.
However, the quality of drinking water also depends on the quality of the supply systems. In older buildings and poorly maintained installations, there is a risk of contamination along the way.
Nevertheless, the pollutant content in tap water is usually lower than in some types of mineral water, for example. Furthermore, there is suspicion that plasticizers from plastic bottles could find their way into the mineral water.
We can therefore say that tap water is generally healthy and a sensible solution compared to commercially available alternatives.
Why does tap water have to be healthy?
Every organism needs water to live and develop. This applies to us humans as well as to the animals and plants we care for. Because this need is primarily met by tap water, it must always be of high quality. But what does that actually mean?
Significance for plants
Generally, there is no water shortage in Germany. However, when the weather remains warm and dry for extended periods, vegetation also suffers. This is particularly critical for agriculture, which relies on large amounts of tap water. A consistent water supply helps plants absorb nutrients and develop optimally.
Plants also absorb nutrients from the soil along with water. Water also helps plants form stable structures. This is why flowers collapse and dry out if they aren't watered often enough. Along with the loss of vitality, their vitality and freshness are lost.
Nutritious and solid soil is very important. But without sufficient water, plants cannot absorb nutrients or produce chlorophyll. To thrive, plants need the right location and optimal conditions. Without water, they couldn't survive.
Meaning in our everyday life
Tap water must be at least safe for humans and animals to drink it. But it must do much more in our everyday lives. It serves not only as a food source, but is used in many areas. These tasks range from cleaning and cooking to industrial manufacturing and medical use. A surprising number of processes are therefore based on tap water.
Here are a few tasks where tap water is used in everyday life:
- Cooking and preparing meals and food
- Washing and caring for textiles and clothing
- Cleaning and maintenance of objects and facilities
- Personal hygiene and body care
In addition, a large amount of tap water is used in industry. Not to mention that hydropower is used to generate electricity and heat.
Cooking, personal hygiene, and cleaning are important tasks for everyone. These can only be accomplished if there is enough clean water available. Ultimately, tap water must be healthy and safe so that its daily consumption does not lead to health problems. Appropriate laws are in place throughout Germany to ensure this is the case.
Is tap water healthy? - Laws, controls, and quality
Requirements for healthy tap water
Tap water is considered the most frequently and thoroughly controlled foodstuff in Germany. The "Regulation on the Quality of Drinking Water for Human Consumption," or Drinking Water Ordinance (TVO) for short, forms the legal basis. Compared to European law, German regulations are in some cases even stricter.
The Drinking Water Ordinance specifies biological, chemical, and physical parameters for tap water. These guidelines must be adhered to and continuously monitored. If the values are too high, the ordinance also specifies how and with what means the water should be improved. This affects the suppliers, as they are responsible for the logistics and management of the water supply. The health authorities exercise control and supervision over this.
The regulation covers the following aspects to ensure that tap water remains healthy:
- Quality and properties of tap water through limit values
- Specifications regarding the type and extent of processing and disinfection
- Obligations of suppliers and those responsible for water supply
- Tasks for monitoring by the health authority
- Information on measures in the case of criminal offenses and administrative offenses
Controls for healthy tap water
To ensure compliance with the requirements of the Drinking Water Ordinance, laboratories and testing centers continuously monitor water samples. The results of these tests are published once a year. The health authorities report the data obtained, which is then entered into a central drinking water database as drinking water monitoring data.
The data obtained are analyzed and used to evaluate drinking water quality. The federal states, the Federal Environment Agency, and the relevant EU Commissions then work with the results of the comparisons.
Consumers can view drinking water quality reports at the federal level. The states further break down the data according to their administrative boundaries. However, it is the information provided by regional suppliers that is most informative for consumers. Critical consumers, however, question whether and to what extent this information is reliable or sufficient. Can consumers possibly test themselves to determine whether tap water is healthy?
Control tap water as a consumer
While consumers can certainly test their drinking water for health, the options are unfortunately limited. There is considerable criticism of the official laws and associated controls. Concerns exist about the presence of other heavy metals, aluminum, fertilizers, industrial chemicals, and pharmaceutical residues in addition to lead and copper.
A simple testing method for consumers is so-called indicator tests. These are available as test strips and can cover individual parameters or serve as a multi-parameter test. Test strips for drinking water cover the most common contaminants such as bacteria, nitrates, and nitrites. They can also measure pH values, limescale, and chlorine levels. However, they cannot detect potentially more questionable substances.
Another option for testing is to send a sample of your drinking water to an independent laboratory. This is very reliable and can provide helpful information. However, this analysis is quite expensive and has a certain drawback. Even though the conditions in the laboratory are better, they only test certain common parameters. Those who want more precise results require a lot of time and money, and above all, they have to specify the parameters themselves.
So it's not easy to get a clear, complete, and informative answer as to whether one's drinking water is healthy or not. That sounds difficult, but can't the problem simply be solved by drinking mineral water?
Tap water or mineral water? - An astonishing result
The idea is plausible: Mineral water isn't exactly cheap and has to be specially procured. But the quality is excellent and consistent. Is that really true? Unfortunately not. Indeed, the much-touted mineral water can't compete with tap water. And not just because of the almost immoral idea of selling vital water from the ground for money. A whole host of reasons show that mineral water can hardly compete with tap water.
Life cycle assessment and sustainability
Many consumers want healthy drinking water. But they also want sustainable concepts and fair prices. Tap water excels in terms of both sustainability and its ecological footprint. The supply and infrastructure in this country are very well-established and are continuously monitored.
Tap water in Germany comes primarily from groundwater and reservoirs, and less frequently from bank filtration or river water. The water is supplied via short distances and direct connections. This saves money and produces few emissions. The situation is quite different with mineral water. Mineral water not only has to be extracted and processed (iron removal, carbon dioxide, bottling), but it is then also packaged and transported long distances. This leads to exhaust fumes, costs money, and pollutes the environment with packaging waste and tire wear.
Availability and costs
Tap water also has the edge over mineral water in these respects. As already mentioned, our drinking water comes from collections that are available as locally as possible. A dense network of suppliers and infrastructure ensures reliable availability. For example, the city of Berlin alone is supplied by nine well-distributed waterworks. This system has proven to be effective and cost-effective.
Mineral water is a completely different matter, as its preparation itself involves effort and waste. Not to mention the sometimes highly questionable large corporations that consume resources for profit. Thus, drinking tap water is not only a practical and convenient feature. Tap water is also the best way to avoid making overly powerful corporations even richer by using a staple food.
Healthy or not?
At this point, mineral and table water should actually be able to convince consumers with ease. After all, the providers advertise the outstanding, special properties of their products. Not to mention that an entire industry dedicated to the sale of medicinal water and water cures can survive.
But for certain reasons, drinking halls and spa drinking establishments have not survived. They were once very popular and were widely used. But medicinal water containing sulfur, uranium, or other "special" ingredients failed to establish itself. This also reveals the catch with supposedly exceptionally high-quality mineral and table water.
It's impossible to say with any certainty to what extent specific ingredients actually help. What is clear, however, is that mineral water isn't subject to as strict regulations as tap water under the Drinking Water Ordinance. For this reason alone, it can be said that tap water is healthier.
Tap water is healthy – ways to improve it
It seems so simple and convenient. Just turn on the tap and fresh, clear, healthy drinking water appears. We've already said that tap water is the cheapest, most sustainable, and best choice. And in principle, it's that simple. Moderate water costs maintain the infrastructure and ensure the supply.
Nevertheless, it is also the responsibility of consumers to ensure that this important resource is not wasted or rendered unusable. First and foremost, avoid consuming stagnant or old water. In summer, or during extended periods of inactivity, the drinking water in the pipes can heat up. This promotes the growth of germs and pathogens.
In this country, using tap water is incredibly straightforward. During warmer months and when taps aren't in use for extended periods, the water should be allowed to run for a moment. Once it cools down noticeably after a few seconds, it's safe to use. It may also be advisable to consider additional purification or filtration.
Is tap water healthy? – Filtering improves and makes it safe
Despite the TVO, it may still contain unwanted substances. Depending on the contamination or personal ambitions, various methods of varying complexity can be used. These range from simple filters with customized properties to clever systems with extensive functions.
This can make the selection easier if, for example, there are specific requirements regarding the use of tap water. Especially for medical applications, attention should be paid to particularly pure and absolutely hygienic water. In regions where the tap water isn't soft enough to make the perfect coffee or tea, this aspect may be more important.
Making tap water healthy – upgrading and improving
Fresh, clean, and pure tap water is the ideal basis for enhancing drinking water according to your own ideas and preferences. Most consumers are already familiar with products such as soda makers and flavorings as inexpensive alternatives to expensive convenience products from the supermarket. In addition to high-quality filtration in your kitchen, water revitalization is also worth considering: Tap water can be optimized and vitalized to increase its health benefits. These options offer individual advantages for optimizing personal concerns and challenges through a healthy foundation.
Check out our range of tap water enhancements. Our water revitalization section also offers innovative concepts and ideas. You can find these and other products in our online shop.
Tap water is healthy – Conclusion
Tap water is healthy—that can be said without reservation everywhere in Germany. Nevertheless, there is legitimate criticism of the water supply system. Furthermore, transparency regarding test results poses a challenge in building trust.
However, many consumers are disappointed that expensive mineral water, of all things, cannot meet the standards of tap water. On the contrary, many consumers and consumer advocates even consider mineral water to be questionable.
Water and tap water are therefore always a hot topic in terms of quality and health. To make tap water even healthier, you can be convinced by our product solutions.
