Is it safe to drink the water in Iceland?

08.03.2020
Is it safe to drink the water in Iceland?

Unlike in many neighbouring countries, the Icelandic water is free of chlorine, calcium, and nitrate. We can assure you that the quality of tap water everywhere in Iceland is regularly monitored and tested. In Reykjavík the water quality is measured frequently to make sure it is always of highest quality.

Why you should drink the tap water in Iceland

The water in Iceland is in fact one of the cleanest and most delicious drinking water in the world.

  • Icelandic tap water is pure natural spring water
  • It has filtered through the layers of lava and rocks for decades before entering the tap
  • It contains zero additives and zero contaminants
  • Icelandic tap water is not treated with chlorine or any other chemicals. It‘s simply not necessary!
  • In Iceland, there is no need to buy bottled water, it’s just the same water as runs from the tap, for free!
  • Great way to save money. You don’t need to spend money on buying bottled water every day. Just remember to pack a reusable container for the water.

 

Why does the water in Iceland sometime smell bad?
 
The cold tap water does not have any smell but the hot tap water can have this sulphuric smell and its because it has geothermal origins. Iceland is a volcanic island with magma and sulfur dioxide flowing just beneath the surface.
 

Did you know these facts about travellers and tap water?

  • 65% of all travelers say they use more bottled water on vacation than they do at home
  • 79% of all travelers say they don‘t trust tap water in their destination
  • 80% of all plastic bottles end up in landfills or in the ocean

Why is HI Iceland pointing this out?

Plastic pollution is everywhere. Most of our plastic ends up in landfills, oceans and rivers. Single use plastic pollution is at a rapid pace and millions of tons of plastic is generated annually. All around the world people are getting more environmentally conscious and HI Iceland is passionate about contributing to this fight.

HI Iceland brings attention to plastic pollution and encourages our guests to be responsible travelers. HI Iceland encourages our guests to refill their bottles with delicious Icelandic tap water during their stay in our country instead of buying bottled water. The aims are to reduce the amount of plastic waste produced by tourists to the island and point their attention to the quality of the Icelandic spring water.

The next time you are going to buy water in plastic bottles we say to you that it is both a waste of money and bad for the environment. So, we ask you to get to the next tap and fill up your re-usable bottle.

 

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” - Loren Elseley

 

Interesting article by The Telegraph, about how Icelanders encourage travelers to drink tap water instead of bottled water.

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