So why would anybody think the tap water was not safe to drink in France? Nobody seems to ask the same question about the water in any other European country.
Could it be that a French supermarket invariably has a complete isle filled with with more brands of bottled water than the vistor from abroad has ever seen, that the isle actually contains whole pallets of water, such is the apparent demand & that every French shopper has at least 2 6packs of said water in their trolley. In fact the trolley often has a slide out tray at back for carrying the stuff.
I suppose they might be entitled to ask the question, why?
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We bought a bottle of own label water from those very pallets. I am sure it was safe but it tasted so foul we did not drink it.
Mostly we drink tap water, occasionally that can taste a bit odd too. At one site this year the water tasted like it had been pumped out the swimming pool.
Either way we have never suffered tummy upsets and have been visiting France since 1969.
Quote: Originally posted by Kabbes on 07/7/2009
So why would anybody think the tap water was not safe to drink in France? Nobody seems to ask the same question about the water in any other European country.
Could it be that a French supermarket invariably has a complete isle filled with with more brands of bottled water than the vistor from abroad has ever seen, that the isle actually contains whole pallets of water, such is the apparent demand & that every French shopper has at least 2 6packs of said water in their trolley. In fact the trolley often has a slide out tray at back for carrying the stuff.
I suppose they might be entitled to ask the question, why?
Its to wash their feet when the bidet's broken
Alan
Many years ago, before most of us were born, French tap water was not the best. That, and a medical mythology that is totally different from our own, is why the French like to buy bottled water. All those different bottled waters contain trace minerals that do this and that to your body and many prevent you getting the dreaded "crise de foie" or "liver crisis", a disease that only afflicts French people and those who have lived there a very long time. French people visit spas to "take the cure" for very similar reasons.
In our modern times we all live in the EU, where rules have been laid down for the purification of water. I know we think we stick by the rules more than other countries, but when it comes to water (and probably because of the "crise de foie" situation), the French stick to the rules like glue. The same rules as us. The tap water is fine.
A couple of other things come into play though. Some of those minerals can sometimes lead to gallstones and kidney stones over the course of a lifetime. A water called "Spa", available in Holland and Belgium, has almost no minerals in at all. But Badoit and Vichy are full of 'em. They're not going to harm you on a 2 week holiday unless you bash yourself on the head with the bottle. But they will make your tea taste funny and fur up your kettle. Very tasty on their own though.
Some bottled water is sometimes left in the sun outside the supermarket or warehouse and bacteria builds up, the same kind of thing happens here too. And I'm sure we've all heard about rats weeing on cans and bottles. I bet they do that in France too.
Meanwhile, the tap water is fresh from the waterworks, though the tap itself might be mucky. Running the tap for a minute might do the trick, or wiping it with a baby wipe. Or not, as the case may be.
So basically ... drink what you like, it's all pretty safe. If you don't fancy tap/bottled, then drink the other.
Liz
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Topic: Water!
