Drinking water from the tap

[AJGuillaume]

We are about to start our Camino del Norte, and we have been told (by French pilgrims on the Via Podiensis) that we must not drink water from the tap in northern Spain.
Is that correct?
If so, how have you managed your water supply? (Answering that you didn't drink water, because you only drank vino is not helpful )

 

[Kanga]

Sounds like French oneupmanship and absolute rubbish! Tap water in Spain is treated in accordance with first world health standards, and is quite safe. I drink it all the time, and so does everyone in Spain.

The only time you have to be wary is when you find a fountain that is marked "non portable".

 

[SabsP]

Sounds like French oneupmanship and absolute rubbish! Tap water in Spain is treated in accordance with first world health standards, and is quite safe. I drink it all the time, and so does everyone in Spain.

The only time you have to be wary is when you find a fountain that is marked "non portable".

hehe indeed , the French just want to sell their brands And @Kanga that portable fountain..was it handy in your pack? The wonders of autocorrect ....

 

[Stephen]

You sometimes see signs on outdoor taps stating that the water is untreated. Some others have warnings that the water is non potable.
Apart from those water from taps is fine.
.

 

[Irish Bernie]

Hence the reason I only drink beer hic hic

 

[pelerine]

Sounds like French oneupmanship and absolute rubbish! Tap water in Spain is treated in accordance with first world health standards, and is quite safe. I drink it all the time, and so does everyone in Spain.

The only time you have to be wary is when you find a fountain that is marked "non portable".

...... and in France lots of restaurants have only San Pelegrino

 

[ksam]

Drink it every time on every route unless marked Nonpotable! Never a problem.

 

[jungleboy]

And @Kanga that portable fountain..was it handy in your pack? The wonders of autocorrect ....

Too bad the wine fountain at Irache wasn't portable.

 

[oursonpolaire]

On many many caminos I have taken my water from the tap and public fountains, with no negative result. Avoid anything labelled No Potable (undrinkable) and stay away from standing taps in fields-- otherwise, you'll be fine.

I have had trouble with French city water, but never in the countryside. As well, taps in French cemeteries always provide drinkable water.

 

[jsalt]

We are about to start our Camino del Norte, and we have been told (by French pilgrims on the Via Podiensis) that we must not drink water from the tap in northern Spain.
Is that correct?

French pilgrims I speak to say that they don’t go to Spain for the food. Now they are saying the same about the water??!! Tap water is fine on the Norte. That’s all I filled my bottle with, and had no problems.
Jill

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I walked the Norte and was never sick. Glad I hadn't heard that false remark before I left or I'd been paranoid it was possibly true, constantly buying and wasting throwaway bottles of water needlessly.

 

[Glenshiro]

I have drunk tap/public fountain water all over Spain (and most of the rest of Europe, come to that) with no ill-effects whatever. On the Camino I carry a water reservoir which I fill every day with two litres of whatever comes out of the tap.

 

[dfunghi]

If one sees the town fountain in use by locals and looks as though people have drank it for decades and decades it is most likely not only safe but delicious and ice cold as well. One of my joys in traveling Europe (not on foot yet) is the many town fountains. Better yet the lone pipe sticking out of a rock at the base of a mountain with spring water and a short line of locals with plastic bottles waiting to fill. NON POTABLE water will assuredly be well marked.

 

[domigee]

French pilgrims I speak to say that they don’t go to Spain for the food. Now they are saying the same about the water??!! Tap water is fine on the Norte. That’s all I filled my bottle with, and had no problems.
Jill

I am French and I love Spanish food AND I drink from water fountains
You find idiot ‘know-it-alls’ in every country

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

You sometimes see signs on outdoor taps stating that the water is untreated.

Or that the water quality is not guaranteed. Ask in that case. Some towns put up that sign so they don't have to pay to have the water periodically tested but it could be fine.

 

[Sandra Riordan]

We are about to start our Camino del Norte, and we have been told (by French pilgrims on the Via Podiensis) that we must not drink water from the tap in northern Spain.
Is that correct?
If so, how have you managed your water supply? (Answering that you didn't drink water, because you only drank vino is not helpful )

Absolute rubbish. I walked the Norte from Irun to Santiago and only drank tap water never had an issue. Just wonder what trouble making the French pilgrims were up to.

 

[navarro]

We are about to start our Camino del Norte, and we have been told (by French pilgrims on the Via Podiensis) that we must not drink water from the tap in northern Spain.
Is that correct?
If so, how have you managed your water supply? (Answering that you didn't drink water, because you only drank vino is not helpful )

I´ll try to focus that issue. I think the mattter is refered to domestic water. Excepting very small and isolated villages water is treated and potabilized. You can drink it safely, I do it every day. In public fountains many of then are indicated if is treated or no. If it is not treated may contain some minerals as fertilizers or bacterias. But sometimes they are onlu clorated. If it is tretaded it is sure. The same for springs in open field. Will you get ill if you drink this water? Probably no, but not sure at 100% . So remember you dont need to buy bottled water to drink, domestic water and treated fountains are safe. No treated there is a risk, probably a diarrea.

 

[IngridF]

Or that the water quality is not guaranteed. Ask in that case. Some towns put up that sign so they don't have to pay to have the water periodically tested but it could be fine.

Yup came across this at a fountain on the Aragones. Big sign saying not to drink. I watch a car come up and a lady gets out and fills multiple gallon jugs. I ask her what she is collecting for and she tells me the best water around. Cold and clean and of course a healing spring ( next to the church). Town doesn't want to pay for certification. I thank her and drink my fill, douse my head and hat and drink some more as other pilgrims frantically point out the sign to not drink. Never any ill effects ...proof: I am writing this long-winded response

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I watch a car come up and a lady gets out and fills multiple gallon jugs.

It is possible to become accustomed to the microbes, so a tolerance in local people does not mean there will be no effect. Mexicans drink their water all the time without Montezuma's revenge. Indians drink their water all the time, while visitors won't even use ice cubes in drinks. My sister in law drank water in a Chinese restaurant in Beijing, and had a parasite on returning that had her tested by the local Health Department for months.

Doing what the locals do may have consequences! My suggestion is to stick to the treated systems. Bars are always willing to fill your bottle from the cold water tap on their beer dispenser.

 

[tominrm]

To be honest I had problems with “open” fountain a couple of times on CF a few years ago. I drank it because, even I had my camelback, fountain water felt cold and refreshing. But after drinking the water my stomach grumbled all afternoon. So I drank only out of my camelback which was filled with water from tap every morning. Treated water is safe to drink in Spain except one area in CF where the local people warn you not to drink because higher content of chlorine. I forgot the name of the town.

 

[WalkingJane]

...... and in France lots of restaurants have only San Pelegrino

But they have a tap in the kitchen. My French is nearly all gone so I can't give you the words, but try asking for water from the tap.

Just had a "duh", or something, moment. I drank tap water while in Portugal in June, and used it to fill a water bottle I carried. Now, back here at home I am using a Brita filter for tap water that I pay taxes to have made safe.

 

[RJM]

Yup came across this at a fountain on the Aragones. Big sign saying not to drink. I watch a car come up and a lady gets out and fills multiple gallon jugs. I ask her what she is collecting for and she tells me the best water around. Cold and clean and of course a healing spring ( next to the church). Town doesn't want to pay for certification. I thank her and drink my fill, douse my head and hat and drink some more as other pilgrims frantically point out the sign to not drink. Never any ill effects ...proof: I am writing this long-winded response

I did the same thing on the Frances once. Very thirsty, and out of water. Fountain looked good, but labeled non-potable. After dousing myself with water from it to cool off, and relaxing in the shade, I observed an automobile drive up and an older man get out and start filling jugs. I also observed him to take a long drink out of one of the jugs himself. After he left, I filled my water bottles up and drank a 1/2 litre of the water there. No problems. No ill effects. Not saying you can do that at all the non-potable labeled fountains.

 

[domigee]

But they have a tap in the kitchen. My French is nearly all gone so I can't give you the words, but try asking for water from the tap.

And should they say ‘Non!’, just order a pastis and they’ll bring with it a jug of fresh water

 

[tpmchugh]

We are about to start our Camino del Norte, and we have been told (by French pilgrims on the Via Podiensis) that we must not drink water from the tap in northern Spain.
Is that correct?
If so, how have you managed your water supply? (Answering that you didn't drink water, because you only drank vino is not helpful )

Water in Spain is fine and where not is labeled 'non potable'. Spain is part of the EU and I believe they have certain standards that must be met by all member countries. However, there are differences as you walk the Way. In some areas the chlorination of the water seems a bit much and in some places the water is harder than others. Generally I tend to fill up at fountains rather than the albergue tap as I am never sure if it is mains water or from a storage tank

 

[tpmchugh]

To be honest I had problems with “open” fountain a couple of times on CF a few years ago. I drank it because, even I had my camelback, fountain water felt cold and refreshing. But after drinking the water my stomach grumbled all afternoon. So I drank only out of my camelback which was filled with water from tap every morning. Treated water is safe to drink in Spain except one area in CF where the local people warn you not to drink because higher content of chlorine. I forgot the name of the town.

Possibly Vianna where I was advised by hospitalera to go to fountain as tap water had a lot of chlorine

 

[IngridF]

It is possible to become accustomed to the microbes, so a tolerance in local people does not mean there will be no effect. Mexicans drink their water all the time without Montezuma's revenge. Indians drink their water all the time, while visitors won't even use ice cubes in drinks. My sister in law drank water in a Chinese restaurant in Beijing, and had a parasite on returning that had her tested by the local Health Department for months.

Doing what the locals do may have consequences! My suggestion is to stick to the treated systems. Bars are always willing to fill your bottle from the cold water tap on their beer dispenser.

You got a point... maybe since I was born in Europe and weaned on mountain water, my system has no problem. Personally I abhor bottled water that has carcinogens leaking from the plastic into the water.

 

[s00thsayer]

If anyone can recall, what was the longest distance you had to go before finding another tap or fountain on the Norte?

 

[Bogong]

I think I posted on another site here not so long ago the results of tests on a range of commercial bottled waters, including some French ones from memory, compared to tap water. In all cases, except one, the bottled stuff was potentially more dangerous to your health than was treated tap water. Things like “chlorine free” actually having excess levels and various other nasties.

The exception was the most expensive, I think the brand name wa “Fiji” its test results were identical to tap water, so draw your own conclusions as to where its water came from.

If you buy bottled water you’re paying for the plastic container and possibly riskinglonger term adverse health issues as well.

De Colores

Bogong

 

[Joyseeker]

EU water stadards.

 

[Thornley]

We are about to start our Camino del Norte, and we have been told (by French pilgrims on the Via Podiensis) that we must not drink water from the tap in northern Spain.
Is that correct?
If so, how have you managed your water supply? (Answering that you didn't drink water, because you only drank vino is not helpful )

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain and The Norte.
Better than what you are used to old mate.
As Kanga said , non portable ignore , all other get into it.
And as you know from your restaurant days , one litre Vino , one litre of H2O
Safe trip , take your time till Deba and on arriving there get the elevator

 

[Lynn Shukalov]

We are about to start our Camino del Norte, and we have been told (by French pilgrims on the Via Podiensis) that we must not drink water from the tap in northern Spain.
Is that correct?
If so, how have you managed your water supply? (Answering that you didn't drink water, because you only drank vino is not helpful )

We just did the Northern Route....the water fountains were well marked as “Non Portable” if questionable. Especially at the beginning, the fountains in the woods were lovely and refreshing.

 

[AJGuillaume]

The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain and The Norte.
Better than what you are used to old mate.
As Kanga said , non portable ignore , all other get into it.
And as you know from your restaurant days , one litre Vino , one litre of H2O
Safe trip , take your time till Deba and on arriving there get the elevator

@Thornley Rachel got me to go down the steps in Deba

 

[AJGuillaume]

If anyone can recall, what was the longest distance you had to go before finding another tap or fountain on the Norte?

@s00thsayer about 10km between Izarbide and Markina-Xemein.

 

[tpmchugh]

If anyone can recall, what was the longest distance you had to go before finding another tap or fountain on the Norte?

Long trail from Carrion to Calzadilla I believe was the longest if my memory serves me right

 

[trecile]

Long trail from Carrion to Calzadilla I believe was the longest if my memory serves me right

The question was about the Norte

 

[WalkingJane]

We just did the Northern Route....the water fountains were well marked as “Non Portable” if questionable. Especially at the beginning, the fountains in the woods were lovely and refreshing.

I'm glad the fountains weren't portable. Would have been quite a lot to carry. Please forgive me, I've just been reading the "Not serious" thread.

 

[tpmchugh]

The question was about the Norte

ooops