Italy
Safe to drink. At 84/100 the public supply is treated to a high standard and safe to drink straight from the tap. WHO/UNICEF monitoring puts safely-managed drinking water at 96.8% of the population.
Can you…
Source → Tap
Modern network · well-maintainedCan you drink the tap water in Italy?
Last reviewed September 2026
Italy scores 84/100 on our water-safety index — safe to drink. At 84/100 the public supply is treated to a high standard and safe to drink straight from the tap. WHO/UNICEF monitoring puts safely-managed drinking water at 96.8% of the population. Scores above 70 mean tap water is generally safe to drink. 40–69 means treat it with caution — filtering or bottled water is wise. Below 40 means it’s best avoided straight from the tap.
Ice, brushing your teeth & cooking: what’s safe in Italy?
- Drinkable?
- Yes — tap water is safe to drink straight from the faucet.
- Brush teeth?
- Yes — brushing your teeth with tap water is perfectly fine.
- Ice?
- Yes — ice made from tap water is safe.
- Cooking?
- Yes — cooking and rinsing produce with tap water is safe.
Should you boil the tap water in Italy?
In Italy there's no routine reason to boil tap water before drinking it. Keep boiling in reserve for an official advisory or water drawn from a well rather than the public supply. More on what boiling does and doesn’t remove.
Do you need bottled water or a filter in Italy?
Bottled water is a preference, not a necessity, in Italy — the tap water is safe and far cheaper. A refillable bottle is the greener, cheaper choice.
A filter isn't needed for safety in Italy; some people use a simple carbon filter purely to improve taste or reduce chlorine smell.
Waterborne illness risk in Italy
Waterborne illness from the public tap supply is rare in Italy. Ordinary travel food-and-water sense still applies, but the tap water itself isn't the weak link. See CDC food & water precautions.
Worried about a specific tap? How to tell if your tap water is contaminated.
Water treatment & pipe infrastructure in Italy
Italy relies on modern treatment + strict monitoring, delivered through a modern network — well-maintained. That puts the practical contamination risk between source and tap at low. Even where water leaves the plant clean, aging mains and rooftop storage are where quality most often slips.
Common questions about tap water in Italy
Can you drink tap water in Italy?+
Italy scores 84/100 on our water-safety index — safe to drink. Yes — tap water is safe to drink straight from the faucet.
Is it safe to brush your teeth with tap water in Italy?+
Yes — brushing your teeth with tap water is perfectly fine.
Is ice safe to use in drinks in Italy?+
Yes — ice made from tap water is safe.
Is tap water in Italy safe for cooking?+
Yes — cooking and rinsing produce with tap water is safe.
Data & sources
Official monitoring (WHO/UNICEF JMP, 2024) puts safely-managed drinking water access in Italy at 96.8%. Access to a safe source isn’t the same as tap-drinkability for visitors — our 84/100 score weights traveler drinkability, informed by this data.
- WHO/UNICEF JMP — 96.8% safely managed (2024)
- World Bank · safely managed drinking water (SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS)
- CDC · food & water safety for travelers
Read the full methodology — how the 0–100 score is built and what it does (and doesn’t) mean.
Tap water in Italy’s cities & destinations
More countries in Europe
See the full Europe ranking — all 45 countries, safest to least safe.