Barcelona’s tap water explained by a local
If you are visiting Barcelona and are wondering whether Barcelona’s tap water is safe to drink, you came to the right place. I moved from Madrid to Barcelona around a year ago, and have been telling visitors everything they need to know about Barcelona’s tap water. The most asked questions usually include:
Can you drink tap water in Barcelona? Can you get sick from Barcelona’s tap water? Do I have to pay for tap water in restaurants in Barcelona? Is Barcelona’s tap water clean enough? Why does Barcelona’s tap water have such a weird taste?
We will talk about all that in the following blog post. Barcelona’s tap water is a topic that is widely discussed, mostly because of Barcelona’s water shortage, which is affecting many coastal areas and the South of Spain. So if you are visiting Barcelona soon or want to move to Barcelona, and want to know if you can drink Barcelona’s tap water or how to stay hydrated during your visit in general, keep reading:
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Let’s answer the question: Can you drink Barcelona’s tap water – Yes or No?
Yes, Barcelona’s tap water is safe for consumption, BUT the chlorine in the water does give it a very unpleasant taste. While it depends on the area of Barcelona you are based in, the taste of the tap water in Barcelona can be better or worse. Most people living in Barcelona only drink tap water, when they filter it.
If you are visiting Barcelona your hotel or place to stay probably has a water filtering system for tap water. But if you do not like the taste of it (many people do not like it if they are not used to it), I would suggest buying bottled water. This is what many of the people living in Barcelona are doing.
If you are in a restaurant, I would also suggest paying for bottled water. Some restaurants do have water filters and sell drinkable water to customers, but it will not be free. I would not ask for tap water in a restaurant in Barcelona. This is a very common practice in Madrid, where restaurants offer tap water for free, but the tap water in Barcelona usually has a very strong chlorine taste. While it is safe to drink, out of experience I can tell you that many people do not like it. This is not just something you will see in Barcelona, but also in other coastal cities of Spain like Valencia or Málaga.
This is the short answer to that question, but if you want to know more about Barcelona’s tap water, Barcelona’s water shortage, and its impact, keep scrolling. You will also find a website where you can check the quality of the tap water depending on the area you live in. So keep reading!
Can you drink tap water in Barcelona? Is it safe for consumption?
Other blog posts about Barcelona you have to check out:
Barcelona bucket list: If you are planning on visiting Barcelona soon and are looking for a bucket list challenge, make sure to check out this blog post!
How to spend 3 days in Barcelona: This blog post features the perfect itinerary if you are planning to stay in Barcelona for a long weekend. Check it out!
Barcelona off the beaten path places: If you have seen all the typical must-see spots of Barcelona check out this guide for the hidden gems in town!
Barcelona Gaudi buildings map: This blog post features a map with all Gaudí buildings in Barcelona. Check it out and plan your next visit!
Barcelona self-guided walking tour itinerary: This blog post features a Barcelona walking tour itinerary to see the most important places of Barcelona in one afternoon
I don’t like the taste of Barcelona’s tap water. What can I do?
I have seen so many sources online saying that you “absolutely should drink Barcelona’s tap water” and that it is one of the “best quality tap waters in Europe”. While that might be true Barcelona’s tap water has a very strong chlorine taste, and many people do not like it.
Whenever I have visitors in my house I warn them about the not very tasty tap water, and I would never offer them to drink the tap water without filtering it. If you are used to very clean tap water, you might not even like the filtered version and will have to switch to buying bottled water. Why am I saying that? Because it is absolutely normal not to like the taste of Barcelona’s tap water.
Why does Barcelona’s tap water taste so bad?
Can you drink tap water in Barcelona? Yes, you can drink tap water in Barcelona but many people complain about its bad taste and smell. Especially if you are used to water from other cities and countries that have access to very good tap water. But why is that?
Chlorine & Minerals
Whenever you take a shower in a bathroom in Barcelona you will smell it right away: Chlorine. Chlorine is used to get rid of the salt, dirt, and other bacteria in Barcelona’s tap water. While its dosage is not harmful and it is safe to drink, the taste can be very off-putting.
Contaminants, old pipes, and hard water
Old pipes can be a problem in Barcelona, especially if you live in an old building. There are many beautiful and famous buildings in Barcelona that are hundreds of years old, and sometimes the pipes are not properly looked after which makes the water quality not great.
Apart from that, Barcelona had very hard water thanks to the high levels of minerals in your water. Something I also realized after moving to Barcelona is that the water makes the skin on my arms and legs very dry. And I am guessing it is due to the hard water we have in the coastal areas of Spain. If you experience the same, you can purchase a shower filter for the minerals and chlorine in your shower.
I don’t like the taste of Barcelona’s tap water! Alternatives for you:
Can you drink tap water in Barcelona? Yes, you can but you might not like its taste. If you are in Barcelona and are looking for an alternative for its tap water, you can choose from the following:
Buying bottled water:
You can find bottled water at any supermarket or convenience store in Barcelona. When walking around Barcelona, you will see many small supermarkets called “alimentación” which have the most important goodies and go-to foods for sale, and they will have water. There is no deposit for plastic water bottles in Spain (like there is in Germany etc) so the final price will be shown on the bottle.
While this is the most convenient option, buying bottled water can get very expensive if you are staying in Barcelona for 3 days or more. Apart from that, you will end up throwing the plastic water bottle away, which is not very environmentally friendly.
Public water fountains
While walking around Barcelona, you will see many public water fountains on the side of the road. These water fountains offer drinkable water, where you can always refill your water bottle.
If you are planning to stay longer in Barcelona, you can also think about the following options:
Jar water filters
A very popular option for everyone who does not like the taste of tap water in Barcelona are external water filters. Those look like a jar that you can fill with tap water, and the internal filter will filter the chlorine and therefore the horrible taste. We use the one from the brand “Brita” at home, and are very happy with it. The Brita is very practical, in case you want to serve water to several people during a meal without the need to refill it all the time.
The only downside is that you have to change the filter every two months, depending on how often you use it. The jar costs around 20-30€ and a new filter costs around 20€.
Sink Water Filters
Apart from the jar filter, we also have a sink water at home, which many people in Barcelona use as well. You can find different companies offering sink water filters. We use both Brita and Philips and they are both equally great. The benefit of sink water filters is that they are very easy to install, even if you are not a plumber.
You also have to change these filters every now and then. But then you do not have to ask yourself the question “Can you drink tap water in Barcelona” ever again.
Other services
Living in Barcelona, my boyfriend and I have been even considering other services to improve our tap water in Barcelona. For example, there are services in Barcelona where you can purchase a dispenser and will receive monthly refills of purified water. Check out Aquaservice and Osmosys for more information
How can I know if the place I am staying at in Barcelona has filtered tap water?
That is very easy to find out: If your place to stay has a kitchen, you can check the faucet to see if it has a filter on it. Filters are usually white and are a bit chunky, so it is very easy to spot them. If you are staying in an apartment in Barcelona, most of them will have filtered tap water. While most hotels might only offer bottled water during your stay.
Can you drink tap water in Barcelona? The history behind it
Barcelona currently has one of the highest-quality drinking waters in Europe and in the world. But it was not always like that. Before Spain joined the European Union in 1986, it was infamous for its bad drinking water. Only in the 1980s and 1980s when the country received large quantities of money to invest in its water infrastructure the quality improve a lot.
Fresh drinking water has always been scarce in Barcelona. During the 19th century, Barcelona was infamous for its dirty streets and bad water infrastructure. Diseases were common in the overcrowded city where people would get their water from public fountains and dwells.
During the 20th century, Spain invested a lot in its water infrastructure in order to fight water shortage. Thanks to climate change Spain experiences more extreme temperatures especially in summer, when heat waves and the absence of rainfall really impact Spain’s water reservoirs.
When we talk about Barcelona, there are two main water resources that the city uses: The Llobregat River and the Mediterranean Sea. The water plat of Llobregrat was inaugurated in 2021 and is currently supplying a third of the drinking water to all neighborhoods in Barcelona.
Can you drink tap water in Barcelona today? Yes, the tap water in Barcelona is safe for consumption.
What does the water shortage mean in Barcelona?
Barcelona is suffering from a water shortage due to decades of droughts in Spain, especially in Catalonia. People even say the current drought is the worst Catalonia has seen in the last 100 years. As someone who lives in Barcelona, I can confirm that Barcelona experienced VERY LITTLE rainfall in 2022-2024. And of course, climate change and the severe temperatures in Barcelona in summer are not helping. It is especially affecting the countryside of Catalonia, but the effects of the drought are also visible in the city of Barcelona.
Barcelona’s water shortage in 2024
In February 2024, the government of Catalonia called an emergency phase for the areas that the Llobregat water plant is supplying with fresh water. The Llobregat River supplies 6 million people with fresh water, including Barcelona and its whole metropolitan area.
If you were visiting Barcelona in 2024 you probably saw the effects of the emergency state:
The showers at the beach of Barcelona were turned off as the government was trying to save the water supply. Fountains, like the Montjuic fountain, and other public water fountains and ponds were turned off as well.
The average daily freshwater use was cut from 210 to 200 liters for residents. Any public use of water, like irrigation or street cleaning, was also reduced to save water.
Barcelona’s water shortage in 2025: How is it today?
There has been no update on the emergency state in 2025, which means that the emergency protocol and the water-saving measures from 2024 still apply. While it has been raining more than usual in the second half of 2024, we can only hope that Catalonia’s water reservoirs will improve and the measures from the government are effective.
What can we do to help minimize the effects of the water shortage in Barcelona?
There are different ways in which we can all help to minimize the effects of the water shortage in Barcelona. If you are a tourist in Barcelona or moved here recently, this is what you can do to help:
- Take short showers
- Avoid wasting water
- Use rainwater for e.g. watering plants etc.
- Try saving water at home
Other useful websites and resources about Barcelona’s tap water
Check the quality of the tap water at your address in Barcelona on this website:
I will be completely honest here: I have not met a person in Barcelona who thought that their tap water is amazing. But usually, the older the building, the worse the quality of your tap water (and water in the shower!) will be!
Check the current situation about the water shortage in Barcelona on this website:
This governmental website gives updates about the water crisis in Catalonia
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