Drinking water in the EU: better quality and access

MEPs adopted new rules on 23 October to further improve the quality of and access to drinking water for all people and reduce plastic waste from water bottles.

Most people in the EU have good access to high quality drinking water. According to a report by the European Environment Agency (2016), more than 98.5% of tests carried out on drinking water samples between 2011 and 2013, met EU standards.

The EU Drinking Water Directive sets minimum quality standards for water intended for human consumption (drinking, cooking, other domestic purposes), in order to protect us from contamination.

Parliament voted in favour of an update of the rules to increase consumer confidence and encourage the drinking of tap water. MEPs call on EU countries to “promote universal access” to clean water for everyone, especially vulnerable groups with no or only limited access.