In Turkey, tap water is generally not drinkable. Tap water is safe for cleaning but not for drinking in general. In some small towns, tap water may be clean enough to drink, but in general, large cities are outside this range. That is why you should prefer bottled water if you cannot be sure of the source of the water.
Tap water resources in large cities are as follows:
- Istanbul ->Dams
- Ankara ->Dams
- Izmır ->Dams and Groundwater
- Antalya (Alanya) -> Groundwater
- Mugla (Bodrum) -> Groundwater
For cities that use dams as a source of drinking water, the water from dams is not clean enough for drinking, even if the water is purified. This is why chlorine is often added to water for disinfection (chlorination of water). From time to time, you may see white foam when you fill a glass of tap water in Istanbul, indicating the presence of chlorine in the water. Although local authorities may insist that tap water is clean enough to drink, you probably prefer not to drink it because of the smell when you drink it. On the other hand, for cities using groundwater as a source of drinking water (such as Antalya, Bodrum), the tap water may be clean enough to drink. Groundwater is much cleaner than the dam’s water.
One of the most important issues to mention concerning tap water in Turkey is the one concerning water pipes. Only metal pipes have been used for plumbing until the 2000s in Turkey. Materials such as steel, cast iron, and copper were used until the 2000s when the average period of healthy use of these pipes was between 10 and 50 years. Besides, due to the lack of sufficient standardization in the past, low-quality metals have also been used for pipes. For these reasons, many buildings built before the 2000s may have rust in their pipes. You won’t experience this situation at the hotel (since it is in constant use), but when you turn on a tap that is not open for a few days, you will sometimes get yellow water of because accumulated rust. Therefore, even if you have heard that the water is safe to drink in your area, it would be more appropriate not to drink it, taking into account the water pipes.
What do the Turks say about tap water?
Firstly, when you talk about tap water with people living in big cities, you can learn that in most houses people drink bottled water. On the other hand, in some houses, since tap water is considered too unsafe to drink, filtration systems are used for drinking water. Wealthy people can use filtration systems not only for drinking water but also for the entire clean water system in their homes. If you are in Turkey for a limited time, bottled water is the best way to get clean water. You can see many water cars in the streets, where water is sold in 19-liters bottles (called “Damacana” in Turkish) that the seller brings to your home. You can find a local shop that sells Damacana, which is very common all over Turkey.
The main reason for the habit of drinking bottled water is that most buildings have their own water supply to prepare for water failures. Although they are now very rare, water failures were common about 20 years ago. Today, water passes through storage units and makes tap water potentially dangerous because people cannot be sure that it is properly sanitized at all times. Although there are sensitive and cautious people who cook with bottled water, it is very difficult to see people who wash vegetables or brushes their teeth with it. People use tap water for this purpose. Keep in mind that the hardness and taste of tap water are different from bottled water, which can make visitors uncomfortable for a few days if they are not used to it. Most people make tea with bottled water because the quality of the water has an influence on the taste of the tea.
Turkey consumes 149 liters of bottled water per person.
The inability to drink tap water worldwide is the subject of much research. By compiling the data announced by the Tap Water platform, B2Press indicates that in 2018, 600 million households worldwide consumed bottled water. This figure is 391 billion liters per year, which means that about 1 million bottled water is consumed per minute. The use of plastic water bottles is expected to reach 450 billion liters by 2022. In 2018 Packaged Water Producers Association also transmits data received from B2press, annual per 68 liters PET and glass in Turkey in, states that 136 half-liter plastic bottles and four carboy water is consumed per person per year in Turkey.
The amount of drinking water per habitat in Turkey is currently estimated at around 1,520 cubic meters. However, the population of Turkey in 2030 is expected to reach 1,100 cubic meters, or 100 million people, which is close to the amount of fresh water per habitat. The average amount of water available per person per year in the “water-poor” countries, which was less than 2000 m³, is a “living water shortage” because Turkey’s water is rapidly becoming poor.
Conclusion
Is it safe to drink tap water in Istanbul, Turkey? Yes, it is safe to drink. The tap water is pre-treated in water treatment plants ISKI. But Old pipes and water tanks in buildings can cause water contamination. This is beyond the control of ISKI. Due to the chloride and the long retention time of water in the pipes, the water in Istanbul may not have the same taste and smell as natural fresh water. The people living in Istanbul have a very delicate taste and prefer not to drink tap water. However, it can be safely stated that tap water in Istanbul is safe and clean drinking water. When you are traveling to a small town in Turkey, you can ask locals if the tap water is safe to drink. But in big cities, if you are concerned about your health, you can test it with available water test kits or buy bottled water. Especially if you have a sensitive stomach.