Here in the UK, we pride ourselves on the quality of our public water
supply which is often drunk straight from the tap. Reputedly, it is
often better than bottled water.

We also have the perception (fostered by info fed to tourists) that
many other countries - even 'developed' countries - are less well
served.

Well are we Kings of The Hill, yet again?

Or not?

---

Request for Question Clarification by answerfinder-ga on 06 Feb 2005 04:05 PST

Bryan,
I'm partial to a drop of Adam's Wine direct from the tap myself. 
I cannot find any information on tap water, but I can give you some
United Nations' composite figures for each country's water quality
"based upon a range of factors, such as the quantity and quality of
freshwater, especially groundwater, wastewater treatment facilities as
well as legal issues such as the application of pollution
regulations." It lists 122 countries.
Or would you like another researcher to have a go?
answerfinder-ga

---

Clarification of Question by probonopublico-ga on 07 Feb 2005 10:35 PST

Hi, Affie

YES, please ... Go for it!

Sorry to have been so long but I'm in the middle of a major
refurbishment of my house and it's all happening.

To make things worse my cleaner left and my phone is ringing non-stop
from potential replacements.

Worse still, many are GA Researchers who are demanding $2.50 for each
question that I throw at them and that's just at the job interviews.

By the way many thanks to all those who have been kind enough to
comment on this question ... I will catch up with things later.

All the Best

Bryan

Bryan,
Always the same when the builders are in: chaos 

These figures are from the UN World Water Development Report. While
not dealing directly with tap water, it does give a global assessment
of the cleanliness of each country?s water in its rivers, its sewage
treatment and anti-pollution laws.

The full methology is not revealed but the figures are ?composite
figures based upon a range of factors, such as the quantity and
quality of freshwater, especially groundwater, wastewater treatment
facilities as well as legal issues such as the application of
pollution regulations.?

The top five are:

1 Finland 
2 Canada 
3 New Zealand 
4 United Kingdom
5 Japan 

Amazingly, the last country is not a third-world, but Belgium!

The table appears here
http://www.unesco.org/bpi/wwdr/WWDR_chart2_eng.pdf

The full report The UN World Water Development Report: Water for
People, Water for Life. Is available here
http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/wwdr/table_contents.shtml

You may be interested in these figures by region on safe drinking water.
http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/targets/facts_and_figures.pdf


The World Health Organization?s guidelines for drinking-water quality
are available on this page with additional background information (but
no country specific information).
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/en/

The New Scientist has a brief article on the report
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3458

?Belgium, where raw sewage pours untreated into rivers where it mixes
with manure from intensive livestock farms.?
European Public Health Alliance
http://www.epha.org/a/694


Finally, I wonder if Belgium is also bottom of the table because of
certain boy peeing in the water?
http://www.trabel.com/brussel/brussel-manneken.htm


I hope this answers your question. If it does not, or the answer is
unclear, then please ask for clarification of this research before
rating the answer. I shall respond to the clarification request as
soon as I receive it.
Thank you
answerfinder



Successful search strategy
"water quality" countries ranking

---

Request for Answer Clarification by probonopublico-ga on 07 Feb 2005 21:41 PST

Hi, Affie

Not a RCA but a big TY ('Thank You' for future ref).

It looks as though you've picked up some good stuff.

Will take a closer look later & DTN ('Do The Needful).

ATB

Bryan

---

Clarification of Answer by answerfinder-ga on 08 Feb 2005 07:35 PST

Bryan,
Many thanks for your tip.
I shall certainly have a glass of Oldham Bitter - providing the water
content has been drawn from a clean source. Better check that before
imbibing.
answerfinder-ga

Brilliant AF ... Very many thanks.

Interestingly, you failed to dredge up any official confirmation for
the claims that have been made for the water distributed in the State
of Washington.

I must make my friends in Belgium aware of your research. Apparently
death duties are wickedly high in Belge (or should it be Bilge?) ...
Just a thought ...

And to think our forefathers did battle for Little Bilge in WWI ... 
'Was this a good idea?' I ask myself.

Please have a pint of best Oldham Bitter on me.

Bryan

Nah, the water running out of our taps here in Melbourne's Dandenong
Ranges makes the designer stuff in bottles taste as though it's had
things swimming in it! Beautiful crystal clear with no funny taste.
Just gorgeous. We fill bottles and take it to friends' places so that
we can all have a decent cuppa! (At their request, of course.)

Well probo, guess you know which UK water I?d claim to be best. Can?t
make whisky from the (relative) muck that comes out of Hove taps. Most
of yours just runs down the map from Scotland anyway and picks up all
manner of Midlands detritus before it gets to you.

Best

This website should be interesting:

"DWI (= The Drinking Water Inspectorate) is responsible for assessing
the quality of drinking water in England and Wales, taking enforcement
action if standards are not being met, and appropriate action when
water is unfit for human consumption":

http://www.dwi.gov.uk/

Bryan,

I'm a bit biased, living in the State with the best tasting water in
the United States: Washington State.  I would like to try a sample of
yours.  Our water is pure, fresh tasting, odorless, and very clean,
naturally soft water.  Yummy.

WASHINGTON STATE WATER UTILITY WINS BEST TASTING WATER IN THE NATION
http://www.nrwa.org/2001/frontpage/Pages/2002TasteTestWinner.htm
..."(Washington, DC)--If you're looking for the best tasting water in
the nation, move to Washington State......Columbia Rim won out over
water entries from all over the nation, representing 22,147 member
water utilities in the NRWA.  The award was accepted by Fred Sheldon,
NRWA Secretary (WA)..."


When I was living in Las Vegas, the water was horrid.  It smelled
terrible and tasted even worse.  I actually broke down and paid for
bottled water.  I flew back and forth to Seattle about once every 2
months, for six years.  I would bring a couple gallons of tap water
back with me on the plane, and when I drove, I brought even more. 
Arriving in Seattle off the plane, I would head straight for the
fountain.

I can't say much for the rest of the U.S., but the water's fine here!

~~Cynthia

PS, Kansas won once.  What's in Kansas?

I too remember the stories from childhood (many, many years ago) that
you could not drink the water in France. Perhaps in those days British
water was the best. Now I am not so sure. When I lived in Guildford
the product of Thames Water tasted pretty fine to me. I was however
concerned about the stories implying that before the water got into my
mouth it had been through, on average, seven bladders. I also read
reports that there were huge amounts of artificial estrogen in tap
water, which was excreted by women taking oral birth control. Then I
noted the reports claiming that girls were reaching puberty years
earlier than they used to and that male sperm counts had fallen to 50%
since the 1950?s. So for me two plus two equaled activated charcoal
filter under the kitchen sink.
Then I moved to Virginia, USA where the water is not recycled. Sadly
it tastes like a swimming pool. My two staples, the morning tea and
the evening gin (ice) tasted unbearable. Once again the charcoal
filter saved the day and once again my tap water tastes as good as any
bottled water.
No hard evidence here, just my experiences.

Probono --

This book that I have here, "2 Henry VI," says that Cade has the
London fountains running nothing but claret.  Is that why the water's
so tasty?

Of course, the same source notes that forthwith there would be no lawyers either.

But I'm with Cynthia -- I'll take the Seattle water, fresh from the
mountain streams.

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

"Here in the UK, we pride ourselves on the quality of our public water
supply which is often drunk straight from the tap. Reputedly, it is
often better than bottled water."
  
  
I don't know about that...
  
Prozac 'found in drinking water' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3545684.stm

All I can say about jackburton's interesting find is that this is
*really* depressing, and I need a drink.

"... and don't drink the water!"
This can still be useful warning for people who don't travel much,
even if the tap water in many foreign and very foreign countries is
palatable for the locals - regardless of how it tastes, and that can
be very different even with in one town.
Where I live in Germany, half the town gets wonderful tap water from
springs in the hills and the other half gets the clorinated stuff from
the nearby city, and the dividing line - I am told - shifts with
relative use.

The problem for tourists is not that they catch typhoid or some other
serious decease but that their "homebody" stomachs just aren't
accustom to some of the microbes (?) in foreign water and rebel.
Thirsty-five (unintentional typo) years ago, a Aussie missionary
doctor in India told me that although they tested and knew that their
local water supply was free of deceases, he and his family still
always boiled their water, but he had colleagues who did not.
After that long trip (and stressedmum is right about her water), I
have very seldom had trouble with the water, finding it easy to drink
the local brew, so
I'm a little careful, but then in a fit of hybris knock back a glass
from the tap in Loas or Usbekistan to see if I am really inured  - and
have been.  And some one wrote elsewhere: what doesn't kill you, makes
you stronger.
I may get my come-uppance (isn't that an appropriate expression here?)
in Belgium one day.

All that said, and praising our local spring water, my German wife
still buys the bottled stuff with a little fizz.

Pink, if I remember correctly, you are fond of Margarita's.  When you
come to Seattle, I will make you the best Margarita you've ever had. 
I am, after all a certified, licensed, Mixologist.  ;-)