Tap Water Quality in Israel Compared with the World: Oversight, Testing, and What to Know

The Ministry of Health oversees and monitors drinking water quality in Israel through the national environmental health system. It monitors drinking water and its components, under strict regulations setting sanitary quality to protect public health. The ministry maintains that Israel's tap water is high quality and suitable for drinking and other uses, such as bathing, washing dishes, and irrigation. In a hot country like Israel, drinking plenty of water is important.

Although Israel's tap water quality is considered better than that of various other countries, Israelis prefer filtered or mineral water. Many homes and offices have a recommended water dispenser or another tap-water filtration and purification device, while some people prefer buying six-packs of bottled water at supermarkets or grocery stores. The question is whether Israeli tap water really is better than drinking water elsewhere, and many want to know whether tap water is safe on vacation abroad.

Tap water quality in Israel

Drinking water reaching home and residential-building taps comes from groundwater pumped from the Mountain and Coastal Aquifers, surface water, and desalinated seawater. Israeli drinking-water standards are updated periodically, and in 2003 the regulations changed to international standards. Consequently, Israel's current water-quality regulations are identical to Western countries' drinking-water regulations.

However, remember that Israel's water is hard, with high limescale concentrations. Many residents also receive drinking water from seawater desalination plants, and that water lacks minerals and magnesium needed by the body. In fact, much dissolved contamination in tap water comes from municipal and household supply systems. Some authorities do not monitor municipal-system water carefully, and some have outdated systems, so tap water may be contaminated and poor in quality. Many contaminants enter tap water through faulty household infrastructure, so it is unsurprising that the public prefers to protect its health by buying filtration and purification devices.

Public Health Regulations require the Ministry of Health to monitor about 120 environmental contaminants in drinking water that may have potential health effects, plus dozens of other factors affecting taste, smell, and color. Israel's tap water is therefore safe and suitable for drinking, and there is no need to fear it.

Tap water quality abroad

Most countries monitor water regularly and continuously, and the US health organization, CDC, also performs tests and follows information received from countries worldwide. The CDC recommends avoiding tap water in most countries, saying that some also require avoiding bathing and brushing teeth with it because of dangerous contamination.

The health organization says tap water is safe in countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Western Europe. It also recommends tourists drink Israeli tap water; Israel is, in fact, one of the few Asian countries where water can be drunk from the tap without concern. In other countries, meaning most of the world, tourists and usually local residents too are advised to avoid tap water.

When flying abroad, check the health organization's recommendation for tap water in your destination. If it is unsuitable for drinking, boil it or buy bottled mineral water. Special water-disinfection capsules are also available for trips abroad; as needed, these can be purchased at pharmacies or outdoor equipment stores.

This is general news information and is not a substitute for personal advice from a doctor or dietitian.