In this article, we will be studying tap water, its supply, and its treatment process. We will also be taking a look at the countries that provide the best quality tap water in the world. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can move directly to the 5 Countries with the Cleanest, Best Tasting Tap Water in the World.
The Tap Water Treatment
The tap water dropping down the faucets tends to come from several water sources. This water might come from surface water such as a lake, river, aquifers, a groundwater well, or springs, and usually travels through pipes to the domestic taps. Water that comes directly from such sources contains impurities and germs and hence, it needs to be passed through a series of treatment steps before being available as tap water which can also be consumed safely. You can also view the countries with the most water consumption.
In May 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the treatment process utilized by the public water systems to refine water and make it drinkable for the local communities. The treatment process begins with coagulation where chemicals are added to the water. The next step is flocculation where water is mixed to form larger particles called flocs. This is followed by sedimentation where water is separated from the solid sediments, flocs, which tend to sit on the bottom. Water filtration follows where the clean water at the top is filtered through FILTER. Ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis can also be used to filter the water to remove even smaller dissolved particles. In the final step known as disinfection, a disinfectant such as chlorine, chlorine dioxide, or chloramine is added to the filtered water to remove any bacteria or viruses. The water is then transmitted across the pipes to the faucet in homes and buildings. Fluoride might also be added at the end to continue killing bacteria as the water flows through the pipes.
Geographical Disparity in Tap Water Quality
While a clean supply of tap water is deemed safe and even healthy for drinking in some of the developed countries in the world such as America, Switzerland, and Canada, the situation of local water supplies is grim in third-world, developing countries which are most affected by poor water quality and water scarcity. Due to these conditions, The UN has incorporated a goal to achieve equitable access to safe drinking water for all, by 2030. A prime example of this is the water-stressed India which holds only 4% of the total global water resources. On February 14, The World Bank reported that the country has been conserving its groundwater supplies which are a major source of domestic water supplies. Gender differences also come into play as women in rural India travel long distances to get water for households. Even in the urban cities of Shimla and Karnataka, there is a water supply shortage despite the rapidly growing population. The country depends highly on the monsoon season to fulfill its water requirements. The World Bank has been ensuring that rural communities in India can access an adequate water supply through its programs.
A Potential Alternative: Bottled Water
A potential and popular alternative to traditional tap water is bottled water sold under trademarks. The bottled water industry is quite saturated. Let's take a look at some of the dominant players in this industry.
Nestlé Pure Life by Nestle Waters, a subdivision of Nestlé S.A. (OTC:NSRGY) is one of the market leaders in the global bottled water industry. The brand offers quality drinking water through a process of intensive purification and quality control in more than 40 countries around the world. The company also works with local water-stressed countries to improve water access for them. For instance, it replaced the previous water storage tank with a bigger one and enhanced the pumping efficiency of the local well for the people of Benha, Egypt, in 2022. A filtration system was also installed and the pipes were extended to make the water available in taps. The parent company has also committed to investing 100 million Swiss Francs by 2030 to reduce the carbon footprint of the logistics of its three international water brands, S. Pellegrino, Acqua Panna, and Perrier.
Aquafina is another purified water bottle brand, owned by PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP). It sells in multiple countries including Canada, America, Spain, Peru, and Morocco. In July 2023, the company reported an analysis of their water quality which revealed that this water exceeded the requirements set by the US EPA and the US Food and Drug Administration. As per the analysis, the residual disinfectants and byproducts of disinfectants were not detected in the water.
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) owns Dasani, another popular brand of bottled water that is filtered. The company has operations in more than 200 countries. On July 4, the brand reported that a Coca-Cola plant set up in Monterrey, Mexico supplies clean drinking water through an outdoor faucet to the residents of the area free of any cost. The plant especially fulfilled the local needs for water in 2022 when Monterrey was subject to a severe drought. Thus, the company strives to achieve water security in local communities.
Bottled water brands from popular multinationals Nestlé S.A. (OTC:NSRGY), PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP), and The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) continue to supply clean drinking water in different parts of the world. Let's take a look at the countries with the cleanest and best tasting tap water.
Methodology
In order to come up with the list of the top 22 countries with the cleanest and best tasting tap water, we acquired a list of countries with the top scores for safe and healthy drinking water from Yale University’s Environmental Protection Index (EPI). EPI measures country-wise water quality by calculating scores based on the number of age-standardized disability-adjusted life-years lost per 100,000 persons as a result of exposure to unclean and unhealthy water in the country. Countries with high scores have the purest and least contaminated drinking water. Please note that tap water is the water available in a country from its own community water system.
After shortlisting countries with the top scores, we sourced the proportion of the population with access to safely managed water from a local source including piped water, boreholes or tube wells, protected dug wells, and protected springs. This metric was sourced from UNICEF. Thus, we labeled this metric as the population with access to pure tap water since tap water comes from the aforementioned sources. It is important to note that UNICEF declares drinking water safely managed when it is from a local source in the country which is accessible, available when required, and free from any contamination. Please note that all countries with quality tap water have a higher value for the metric and hence, the metric values for the respective countries are closely placed, up to three decimal places. The data for the chosen metric is from 2022.
The top 22 countries with the cleanest, best tasting tap water have been ranked in ascending order of their percentage of population with access to pure tap water, as of 2022.
22 Countries with the Cleanest, Best Tasting Tap Water in the World
22. Switzerland
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 96.7%
Switzerland has been capable of achieving one of the cleanest and best tasting tap water among other countries in the world. Other than the tap water being safe, the quality of water is deemed quite good for drinking.
21. The United States
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 97.468%
The United States allows access to high quality and clean tap water in several states including Kentucky, Washington, New York, Oregon, Kansas, and others. In Kentucky, the tap water is pure and it is even sold under a trademark.
20. Slovenia
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 98.274%
Slovenia is a country rich in water resources. The tap water is said to be clean, drinkable, and tastes well. It is therefore one of the top countries with the cleanest and best tasting tap water in the world.
19. Japan
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 98.659%
Japan is another country that offers drinkable tap water. The quality of tap water is really good and has a milder taste due to its softness. As of 2022, 98.659% of the total population in Japan has access to pure tap water.
18. Norway
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 98.823%
Countries having the best tap water include Norway as well. The tap water tastes refreshing and it is safe to drink throughout the country. A regulated water infrastructure also helps maintain the tap water quality.
17. Greece
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 98.88%
The tap water in most parts of Greece is safe for human consumption. The local water is particularly good in quality and taste. Greece is one of the top countries with the best tap water in the world.
Nestlé S.A. (OTC:NSRGY), PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP) and The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO) have leveraged their positions in the bottled water industry through their respective brands.
16. Austria
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 98.896%
Austria also makes it to the countries with the cleanest and best tasting tap water which offers a good taste as well. As of 2022, 98.896% of the country's total population has access to pure tap water.
15. Canada
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 99.04%
Canada is another country that offers regulated and clean tap water. The cities in Canada have continued access to clean and safe tap water.
14. Israel
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 99.471%
The countries which offer clean and good tasting tap water include Israel. The country provides tap water which is refreshing, safe to drink and of high quality.
13. Luxembourg
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 99.534%
Luxembourg provides access to good quality tap water as this water meets health standards and is deemed to be clean for drinking. This makes the country one of the top countries with the best tap water supply.
12. Spain
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 99.567%
Spain also ranks as another country to offer the best tap water in the world. The taste varies across the country depending upon its softness or hardness but the water is monitored such that it is according to international standards.
11. Finland
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 99.642%
Finland also makes it to the countries with the cleanest and best tasting tap water. The tap water in the country is a pleasure to drink and is really safe and clean.
10. France
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 99.704%
France is another country in Europe that has the best tap water to offer. This water is available for the public across the country and is commonly used for drinking. As of 2022, 99.704% of the country's total population has access to pure tap water.
9. Sweden
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 99.739%
Sweden allows access to clean tap water for the public which is also considered to be drinkable. The taste of this tap water is generally more natural as compared to other countries and the quality is high.
8. Belgium
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 99.739%
Belgium is another country to provide a supply of good quality tap water. This water complies with the standards of the World Health Organization and is clean and pure to be consumed.
Investors who wish to increase their exposure to the bottled water industry can look up Nestlé S.A. (OTC:NSRGY), PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP) and The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO).
7. Cyprus
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 99.765%
The list of the top countries with the cleanest and best tasting tap water ranks Cyprus as well. This water is clean and can be used for drinking purposes. The taste across the country differs as the water tends to be hard in some places while it tastes fine in the rest.
6. Malta
Percentage of Population with Access to Pure Tap Water: 99.772%
Malta provides tap water which is in accordance with the standards of the EU and WHO. As of 2022, pure tap water is accessible to 99.772% of the total population in Malta.
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Disclosure: None. 22 Countries with the Cleanest, Best Tasting Tap Water in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.
