Tapwater Austria: What about the water quality?

Q: Hat Österreich gutes Leitungswasser?

Yes, drinking water in Austria is of very high quality . In most cases, it even reaches the water supply directly in its natural state and untreated. Nevertheless, pollutants can be detected at least occasionally.

Q: Ist Leitungswasser in Österreich kostenlos?

It is not possible to say whether Tapwater is available free of charge in Austrian restaurants. In some restaurants you can order Tapwater for free, in others you have to pay a few cents or even a few euros. Only a glass of water with your coffee or wine is available free of charge in most restaurants or is already included in the price.

In Austria, the average per capita water consumption is 130 liters per day ¹. Only a fraction of this is used as drinking water. The Tapwater of the Alpine republic is generally regarded as particularly clean and healthy and enjoys a good reputation throughout Europe. But what is the truth behind this praise? Let's take a closer look!

In this Guidebook , you will learn ...

... whether you can drink Tapwater in Austria,
... how good the water quality in Austria really is,
... whether pharmaceuticals, pesticides, limescale and the like reduce water quality
... and where the Tapwater in Austria comes from.

Country map of Europe on which Austria is marked

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Updated on: 06.03.2023

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Can you drink Tapwater in Austria?

Tapwater in Austria is generally safe to drink. According to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, it is of excellent quality and usually reaches consumers directly in its natural state ².

The quality of drinking water in Austria is ensured by the Food Safety and Consumer Protection Act and the Drinking Water Ordinance ³ ⁴. It is subject to regular testing and is treated if necessary. But beware: some limit values are set too high in the regulation and certain substances are not even taken into account, which is why pollutants sometimes enter the Tapwater unnoticed.

At times, Tapwater in Austria even exceeds the legally defined parameters. In the 2017 drinking water report, for example, isolated minor exceedances were detected for iron, manganese and E-coli, among others ⁵. However, this affects less than 1% of the samples tested and does not represent a major problem.

Tip: The Austrian water suppliers provide data on Tapwater in Austria on a digital information platform. With the help of an interactive map, you can directly view the local water quality by entering your zip code.

Excursus: Bathing water quality in Austria

In 2021, 97.7% of bathing waters in Austria were classified as "excellent" by the European Environment Agency ⁶. Not a single body of water was classified as "poor". The Alpine republic therefore scores best in Europe in terms of bathing water quality.

Water quality in Austria: Danger from pharmaceuticals?

The fear of pharmaceutical residues in drinking water is growing and more and more active ingredients and their metabolites are being detected in drinking water. Such findings are also a recurring theme in Austria.

A special measurement of pharmaceuticals and their degradation products in groundwater was commissioned in 2018 ⁷. This involved testing 85 active substances and 5 active substance metabolites at 86 groundwater monitoring sites throughout Austria. Measurements were primarily taken at those points where an elevated measured value was already suspected due to various influencing factors - e.g. near hospitals, pharmaceutical production sites and sewage sludge application sites.

Of the total of 90 substances, 48 were measured in concentrations above the specified limits of quantification of 0.0001 µg/l to 0.01 µg/l. At least one of the 48 substances was found at 76 out of 86 test sites - above all carbamazepine and diclofenac.

To date, there are no legal limits for pharmaceuticals in drinking water. The study therefore defined so-called tolerance values. Most of the active substances and metabolites detected are well below these specified tolerance values. Drinking water can therefore continue to be consumed without worry . However, the results undoubtedly show that there is a need for action here.

Source: https://info.bml.gv.at/

Tapwater in Austria: Is lime a problem?

The water hardness in Austrian drinking water varies greatly depending on the region and the water source ⁸. Even within the same region, different degrees of hardness can be found due to the various water sources. The water hardness in the Alpine republic ranges from 2 to 23 °dH and therefore from very soft to very hard water. The local waterworks can provide more detailed information on this.

There are no limit values for water hardness in the Drinking Water Ordinance, as it is generally not harmful to humans. However, from a purely technical point of view, hard water has certain disadvantages ⁹:

Limescale stains on water fittings
Limescale deposits in electrical appliances
Higher consumption of cleaning agents, regenerating salts and co.
Heavy use and shorter service life of electrical devices, especially
if they are not used and maintained properly

Are you struggling with hard water?

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Drinking water sources in Austria: Where does Tapwater come from?

Around 5500 water supply companies are responsible for ensuring that the Austrian population is supplied with fresh and clean drinking water every day. The majority of the population is supplied by large water suppliers. Smaller water suppliers provide drinking water, especially in rural regions. Around 7% of the population supply themselves with Tapwater from domestic wells and springs.

Austria obtains its drinking water almost exclusively from groundwater and spring water. In the capital city of Vienna, for example, Tapwater comes from the Alps in the neighboring federal states ¹⁰. From there, it is supplied to the city via high spring pipelines, water tanks and a sophisticated network of pipes. If necessary, drinking water can also be extracted and treated from groundwater.

In Innsbruck, the Tapwater comes from the Nordkette - a mountain range that runs directly along the northern edge of the city ¹¹. There, the water from melted snow and rain seeps deep into the rock and makes its way through the different layers over several years until it emerges to the surface through a spring. At this point, the water has already been purified from the various layers of rock, filtered and reaches households directly without further treatment.

Tapwater Austria: To drink or not to drink?

You can drink Tapwater in Austria in most cases. The water often comes directly from the mountains and is of extremely high quality. However, as in this country, undesirable substances can occasionally enter the drinking water. Dilapidated water pipes in the house can also reduce the water quality. All in all, however, you can enjoy the best Tapwater in Austria.

FAQs about Tapwater in Austria

Here you will find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about drinking water in Austria.

Does Austria have good Tapwater?

Yes, drinking water in Austria is of very high quality. In most cases, it even reaches the water supply directly in its natural state and untreated. Nevertheless, pollutants can be detected at least occasionally.

Is Tapwater free of charge in Austrian restaurants?

It is not possible to say whether Tapwater is available free of charge in Austrian restaurants. In some restaurants you can order Tapwater for free, in others you have to pay a few cents or even a few euros. Only a glass of water with your coffee or wine is available free of charge in most restaurants or is already included in the price.