For context, I live in Hong Kong where most people drink tap water after boiling first. Some may install water filter but may still boil the water. Very few drink bottle water unless they’re outside and too lazy to bring their own bottles.

Now, I’m researching whether I can drink tap water in Iceland (I’m going there in August), and while it looks like the answer is affirmative, almost no web article mention whether I need to boil the water first. People in Japan (a country I’ve visited a few times) also seems to be used to drink tap water directly without boiling.

The further I searched, the more it seems to me that in developed countries (like US, Canada and the above examples), tap water is safe to drink directly. Is that true? Do you drink tap water without boiling?

It sounds like a stupid question but I just can’t believe what I saw. I think I experienced a cultural shock.

Editted: wow, thanks so much for the responses and sorry if I didnt reply to each one of you but I’ll upvote as much as as I can. Never thought so many would reply and Lemmy is a really great community.

  • 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘬@lemmy.mlEnglish
    12·
    1 year ago

    German person here.

    Tap water is very regulated here in Germany. It’s legally classified as food. The community and your landlord are obliged to make sure the water stays within the regulations. You can also always contact the water company and have your water checked if it is within the regulations.

    Usually it’s absolutely save to drink directly from the tap if there isn’t one of those. It may not always taste great, though.

    • tracyspcy@lemmy.mlEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Berlin. About two years ago or so, I noticed that the limescale (Kalk) on my teapot and even on tap itself had become much more severe. Since then, I have started using a filter.

        • tracyspcy@lemmy.mlEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          yeah, i’m not considering this as unhealthy too, but frustrating a bit. Have you noticed the same thing last years in your place?

      • meteorswarm@beehaw.orgEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Fyi most filters aren’t going to do anything to calcium in the water. You’d need a special ion exchange filter.

        But the calcium is not a health problem. I grew up with very calcium rich water (a well in suburban New Jersey, USA). We had to buy a new coffee maker every few years because it would just kill them, even if we washed it with vinegar regularly.