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In terms of quality, there is no scientific proof that bottled mineral water is any better or safer than tap water and so, for most people, the reason for drinking bottled water is because they just prefer the taste – which is fair enough – but filtered tap water tastes just as good as any bottled water and also cuts down on both monetary expense and plastic pollution of our natural environment.
In the early days of tourism in Spain, which really only got going in the late 1960s, the country’s tap water had a pretty poor reputation with foreign visitors. In the immediate decades following the Spanish Civil War, and then WWII which followed immediately afterwards, there was precious little investment in infrastructure in the country in general, and that included the water supply system.
As a result, the taste of tap water wasn’t the best and this led to a perception amongst tourists that the water probably wasn’t the safest either – and so they mainly opted to drink bottled mineral water. Many Spaniards, especially in touristic areas, started following suit and also opting for the bottled stuff.
Things changed when Spain joined the European Union in 1986, along with Portugal, as between that year and 2008 Spain received €21 billion in E.U. funding to improve and develop its water supply infrastructure. Today Spain has some of the most advanced public water filtrations and wastewater management solutions in the world and, although Spanish water has higher than average levels of trihalomethane (THM) than many other countries, the modern water supply system ensures that by the time it reaches your tap, it is perfectly safe to drink.
Spanish tap water is considered to be 99.5% safe to drink and complies with international water quality standards, although there may still be localized issues with the taste caused by sediments, minerals, local pipe contaminants, or the chlorine that is added to kill off any pathogens, viruses and bacteria that can cause disease.
In more recent years a new problem has arisen in relation to our drinking water worldwide, namely that of microplastics. Decades of dumping plastic waste into the oceans, lakes and rivers of the world by humans have resulted in microplastic pollution. (Really, sometimes it’s astonishing how we humans can be at the same time so intelligent and yet so incredibly stupid!) We now know that much of this dumped plastic waste breaks down into very fine particles which then enter our natural drinking water supplies, rather than decomposing like natural materials would.
Ironically, one huge contributor to microplastic pollution is bottled water. Back in the day when people began to drink bottled water, those bottles were typically made of glass. Now glass has been replaced by cheaper plastic with literally billions of plastic bottles of mineral water being consumed each year. With only about 30% of those plastic bottles currently being recycled, and only 20% of them being made from recycled plastic, the stats are not good at all. The amount of plastic going into our oceans and landfills and eventually into our natural drinking water supply is truly worrying.
Maybe you really want to be kind to the environment but hate the taste of chlorine? While a lot of people hardly even notice the chlorine, there are others who just can’t stand it. Thankfully, there is a solution at hand: water filters. If you are someone who drinks bottled water mostly for the taste, decent water filters will get rid of that chlorine flavour for you and at the same time make your water as safe as possible by removing microplastics, lead, pesticides or any other invisible contaminants that may be hiding in there.
Water filters also have the added advantage of potentially saving an average household hundreds of euro per year in the long run compared to buying bottled water – and, of course, they will help reduce the amount of plastic waste you produce. Give us a shout at callCarlos and we can come out and fit water filters that will make your water taste great, ease your environmental and social conscience, and make you feel better about your wallet in the long run too!
Apart from taste or microplastics, the water here on the Costa Brava, and coastal Catalunya in general with its location right on the Mediterranean, is quite “hard”. The “hardness” of water refers to the levels of mineralization and an excess of cal, or lime, in your H2O – and we don’t mean the kind of lime you use to make mojitos!
This is due to the superabundance of calcium and magnesium, the elements that cause limescale in your household appliances and your shower. You’ll probably have noticed it already or maybe you’ve already had to use a limescale remover – probably on more than one occasion if you live on La Costa Brava.
A water filter, or softener, will take care of that for you and so put an end to your spending on anti-cal products – as well as all that bottled drinking water. Filtered “soft” water requires less laundry detergent and leaves your clothes cleaner, and also means your hair will feel softer and cleaner after a shower while using less shampoo. You’ll also be doing your washing machine, dishwasher, tap and shower fittings a big favour! Convinced yet? callCarlos! Sounds like a bit of a no-brainer really!
Catalunya is in drought. We have officially been so since May 2021, and things have now become very serious.
There are five status levels for the reservoirs in Catalunya:
Normal – Early Warning – Alert – Exceptionality – Emergency
Obviously, “Normal” is where we want to be, but without going into too much detail here, no reservoir is operating as “normal” along the Costa Brava at the time of writing (February 2024). One is at the “Alert” level, namely the Baix Ter, which covers an area that includes La Bisbal d’Empordà and Torroella de Montgrí. Everywhere else on the Costa Brava is in either “Exceptionality” or “Emergency” as is the coast to the south all the way down through Barcelona City and beyond, almost to Tarragona.
“Emergency” was declared on 1 February 2024 for almost all of the Costa Brava when reservoirs reached levels of 16% of their capacity or below. You can check out what level your area is in on the government’s Drought Viewer Website.
It means restrictions on drinking-water usage for industrial, agricultural, and especially recreational purposes. That means no more filling swimming pools or washing the car, no more drinking water being used for street or facade cleaning, or for fountains. It also means sprinklers cannot be used for lawns, or public green areas either, with the bare minimum of water required to keep trees and plants alive being administered using a drop-by-drop system, and only from 08h to 20h – to give just a few examples.
For municipalities in the “Emergency” status, the water usage limit, since 1 March ’24, is 200 litres per person per day, but we are urged to try and use far less.
The Mediterranean typically tends to experience cycles of heavy rain and drought, like the one we’re in at the moment. The last couple of summers were hotter than usual, and the winters have brought very little rain. There wasn’t enough “regular” rain, and although there were a few downpours, water collection during these deluges is inadequate. With the land now being so dry, we face an increased risk of wildfires as temperatures rise again.
The information provided on this website is for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal advice. It may not always be the most up-to-date information, legally or otherwise. This website contains links to third-party websites, and such links are only for the convenience of the reader. callCarlos does not necessarily recommend or endorse the contents of third-party websites. callCarlos does not assume any responsibility for actions taken by people who have visited their website, and no one shall be entitled to a claim for detrimental reliance on any information provided.
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