A tourist's simple request for a glass of tap water at a hotel in the Dolomites has led to a ruling that will go down in Italian legal history. The case dates back to 2019 when a tourist spent a week at a five-star hotel in the ski resort of Corvara, in Badia, over Christmas. She was on a half-board deal with evening meals included — except for drinks. According to local press reports, the woman repeatedly asked for tap water with her meal and even offered to pay for it. Her requests were refused, and instead she arrived at dinner each night to find a 750ml bottle of mineral water (costing €7) on the table.
The woman argued that 'water is a natural resource and a universal human right' and said that she considered tap water to be an integral part of the service at a restaurant or hotel, much like 'finding a bed with sheets' or 'soap in the bathroom.' She sought €2,700 in compensation for the 'economic damage and emotional distress' suffered. However, earlier this week, Italy's top court dismissed her claim and ruled that being served water from the tap is not a consumer right.
Tap Water Safety Across Europe
Tap water is safe to drink in the vast majority of Europe. Governed by strict European Commission Drinking Water Directive standards, countries across the EU consistently record some of the cleanest and most highly-regulated tap water in the world. Nineteen of the 20 countries with the best sanitation and drinking water in the world are European, with Japan being the only exception, according to the Environmental Performance Index.
However, water purity varies dramatically between countries. Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and the UK scored a perfect 100 points for protecting human health from unsafe drinking water and sanitation. The worst rates emerged in Moldova (50 points), Georgia (51.7) and Albania (54.1), with three EU countries also in the lowest 10 spots in Europe: Latvia (59.10), Lithuania (58.40) and Romania (56). Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Czechia have some of the most polluted groundwater on the continent.
Environmental and Economic Benefits
Where it is safe to do so, drinking tap water is not only cheap but environmentally friendly. According to the European Commission, access to better quality water could reduce the consumption of bottled water by 17%. Christophe Hanson, EPP for Luxembourg and Lead MEP on the Drinking Water Directive, noted: 'For the price of a bottle of mineral water, you would receive almost 700 litres of water from the tap.'
Legal Requirements for Free Tap Water
There is no EU-wide law forcing restaurants or hotels to serve free tap water. It is a recommendation, rather than a rule. As a result, few places actually do. However, alongside the UK, some enforce it through their own national consumer protection laws.
France: Under French public health laws, bars, restaurants and cafes are required to provide one carafe of tap water, usually with meals. But there is a catch. You must explicitly ask for 'une carafe d'eau.' Otherwise, if you just ask for water, you will most likely be served bottled. Last summer, a small French region made headlines as the site of the country's biggest ever ban on drinking tap water. Tests of tap water in Saint-Louis, near the Swiss city of Basel and the German border, showed levels of Pfas – 'forever chemicals' linked to cancer and other serious health issues – had reached four times the recommended limit. Shelves were stripped bare of bottled water and a ban on drinking tap water was in force until December 2025.
Spain: Under Spain's 2022 Waste Law, all restaurants, bars, and cafes are legally required to provide customers with free, unpackaged tap water on request. Up to then, the European Commission's 2020 drinking water directive had only 'encouraged' public venues and restaurants to offer tap water for free. This meant that, while customers were within their right to ask for tap water, any restaurant in Spain could also charge for it or only offer bottled water.
Portugal: Just like in Spain, restaurants in Portugal are legally required to offer free tap water. However, as in France, you need to be careful how you ask for it: a 'glass of water' will be free, but 'water' will arrive in a bottle. For the avoidance of doubt, try it in Portuguese: 'Uma água da torneira, por favor.'
