When I moved to Amsterdam it was hard for me to drink tap water. I was used to the taste of spring water in my home country and I also was not properly informed about the safety of drinking tap water.
Can you drink tap water in Amsterdam? Drinking water quality in Amsterdam is safe and clean. You can enjoy water from the tap and save money on buying plastic bottles of water. This reduces plastic waste and is beneficial for the environment.
Let me shed some light on the safety of drinking water from the tap in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Water network in The Netherlands
The water network in The Netherlands is managed by Waternet. This company covers the whole water cycle and makes sure to provide a safe, clean and sufficient supply of water. This includes water for human consumption and for natural areas.
Quality of tap water
The water is cleaned in a natural way. This is done in the dunes which are located between Noordwijk and Zandvoort. The water comes out of the Rhine River, is pre-treated and pumped into the dunes. The sand in the dunes purifies the water in a natural way.
The dunes that are used for the filter process are protected areas. There are strict rules against the pollution that help to ensure that the groundwater remains clean. You will recognise a groundwater protection area by the blue signs with white waves and the text ‘grondwaterbeschermingsgebied’.
The dunes in Zandvoort is also a very nice place worth visiting if you love nature. You have a beach, hiking routes, shopping center and an F1 circuit.
The tap water is considered to be soft. It does not contain a lot of calcium and magnesium. The average hardness is 7,8 dH. The harder your water is, the more calcium and magnesium it contains. The guideline for water hardness is:
- 0 – 4 dH, 0 – 70 ppm : very soft
- 4 – 8 dH, 70 – 140 ppm : soft
- 8 – 12 dH, 140 – 210 ppm : medium hard
- 12 – 18 dH, 210 – 320 ppm : fairly hard
- 18 – 30 dH, 320 – 530 ppm : hard
Taps with free water in Amsterdam
Amsterdam has more than 500 taps with free drinking water. The taps are available 24 hours a day. Grab your bottle and fill it up!
You can find the taps in the Vondelpark, in the Museum Quarter, and in many other places throughout the city. There is always drinking water nearby!
Can you drink tap water in hotels, apartments, airport, bathroom, and such?
Yes, all the water that comes out of the water reservoirs in hotels, apartments, malls, and such, as all are connected to the water system managed by Waternet.
If you are not comfortable drinking the tap water directly, you can use a water filter bottle. Check this one out on Amazon.
And of course, there is always the option to buy bottled water if you are just not digging the taste.
