Opening the tap and drinking should be an automatic gesture. In Italy, however, there remains a divisive choice: according to Istat data, around one citizen in three distrusts their home water. A widespread perception, but increasingly distant from what official analyzes say.
The report of the National Center for Water Safety of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità photographs, in 2024, a different reality: the drinking water distributed in Italy complies with health parameters in 99.1% of cases and 98.4% for indicator ones, linked to characteristics such as smell, taste and colour. Numbers that come from over 2.5 million analyzes carried out between 2020 and 2022, on a sample covering more than 90% of the population.
Continuous checks
Quality is not the result of sporadic checks. The water is monitored along the entire supply chain: from collection in the aquifers to the domestic tap. The controls are double – internal to the managers and entrusted to the health authorities – and follow standards that are among the most stringent in Europe.
Non-compliances exist, but remain limited: localized episodes, often linked to natural factors such as arsenic or fluoride, or to specific microbiological contaminations. In these cases the system intervenes quickly, limiting health risks. Some regions, including Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and Piedmont, record particularly high levels of quality.
The doubts that persist (without proof)
Despite this picture, beliefs that are difficult to eradicate persist. One of the most widespread concerns the link between tap water and kidney stones. The available evidence indicates the opposite: calcium and magnesium, often present, are useful elements for the body and not risk factors.
Even the idea that domestic water should be “improved” by filters or treatments is not supported by the data: these devices do not make it drinkable – it already is – but only intervene on taste and smell. Distrust does not arise out of nowhere. In many cities, water infrastructure is old, with losses that can reach very high levels. A real problem, which concerns management and distribution, rather than the quality of the water itself. Confusing the two levels, however, fuels a distorted perception: the safety of water which, in fact, is among the most controlled, is called into question.
And as regards PFAS contamination, there is some positive news: from next summer the new, more stringent European limits on “eternal pollutants” in drinking water will come into force.
The Italian bottle paradox
Given these data, Italy continues to stand out for its very high consumption of packaged water. According to calculations reported by Legambiente, in 2024 the figure exceeded 257 liters per capita per year, an increase compared to the previous year. One fact that clashes with another: over 99% of the population is connected to the water network. Access to drinking water is therefore almost universal, but trust remains fragile. Despite this, it is the first country in Europe for consumption of bottled water.
How much does bottled water cost
Bottled water has a clear environmental cost — plastic production, transportation, emissions — but also a less visible economic impact. According to Legambiente, bottling companies pay very low concession fees to withdraw public water, which is then resold at prices up to hundreds of times higher. In 2023, despite millions of cubic meters bottled, revenues for public coffers remained limited. The result is an imbalance that weighs on the environment and resources, especially in a context of growing water stress.
Added to this picture is the issue of microplastics: recent studies indicate that bottled water can contain on average up to three times more particles than tap water. A part of these derives directly from plastic containers, subject to release during production, transport and storage. Also for this reason, the idea that packaged water is more “pure” is increasingly less supported by scientific evidence.
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A daily choice that makes the difference
Drinking tap water means reducing waste, limiting emissions and recognizing the value of a public resource. The available data is clear: the water that reaches Italian homes is safe and subjected to constant checks. Continuing to ignore it, while water availability becomes increasingly uncertain, risks transforming a daily choice into a collective cost.
Sources: National Center for Water Safety of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità / Legambiente/Istat
