we used taps for teeth etc but drank bottled.

I use bottled water for drinking and for brushing teeth.

The tap water in Malta is de-salinated sea water by reverse osmosis, however it is fine for washing, making tea, cleaning teeth etc, you can drink it as it is perfectly safe but it can have a hint of salt to it and because of this it can cause tummy upsets not because it's bad water but because it's completely different than what you get in the uk, we drink the bottled water in Malta and it's lovely.

Prosit
Sliema2

The tap water in Malta is safe from bacterial contamination but it is rich in minerals which make it taste not too good and could upset some stomachs. I use tap water for brushing my teeth, and for boiling veg' e.t.c. However I use bottled water for drinking and making cups of tea/coffee.

I'm with m&n - the taste of tap water to me is not good enough for drinking or for making tea or coffee, but fine for cooking - perfectly safe, but you can really tell if you drink tea or coffee made with tap water

Despite this, some of the top restaurants still make tea and coffee with tap water - one that springs to mind is the Blue Elephant Thai restaurant - one of the most expensive restaurants in Malta - went there three years ago and they made jasmine tea with tap water - don't know if they still do, but was enough that haven't been back since to check - yes I did complain, they brought another teapot and it was just the same... grumble, grumble

Thanks all. Another good tip for the memory bank.

Hello all, the one good thing with Maltses tap water and veg, you don't need to add salt to taste when cooking

Dave

perfect for cooking pasta !

Yes but is it any good to sprinkle on me chips

Dave

The tap water in Malta contains levels of nitrates and chlorides which are well above the WHO recommendations.

Heavy rain can also exacerbate the problem by adding sediment and sewage.

At present Malta takes 40% of it's water from underground and the rest is from reverse osmosis. The underground water is also very saline.

During the months we've been here I have cooked, made tea and brushed teeth in tap water without ill effect (as yet) but I always make cold drinks from bottled water.

By 2007 Malta must be compliant with EU regulations on water treatment and water pollution so the situation is probably slowly improving.

During1988 we stayed at the then Kennedy Court now known as the Kennedy Nova. I decided to have a bath and my wife was tickled pink when my legs disappeared beneath red sandstone coloured water!

I often wonder if having that bath was worth it but I have to say that the water situation is much much better these days and although I tend to have a shower rather than a bath I'm sure the water is clearer. I have no hesitation about brushing my teeth or using the tap water for culinary purposes though we all still drink bottled water,

Trev

Hi there, well I'm afraid that Malta is made of limestone and the reddish water in your bath was probably due to rusty pipes!

I have this happening every evening when I draw a bath for my 3 children, particularly if we haven't used the hot water tank for a while.

I live in a new apartment so am not sure why there should be such a problem with it. It is harmless for the most part but can stain clothing so don't do your laundry in it!

Hi sdwill,

Thanks for the info. On reflection I think you're correct - but why are they still using iron water pipes in Malta? Got rid of those years ago in the UK!!!

Trev

I really don't know, perhaps it's something to do with the hot water tank itself? The cold water is usually the right colour

Bottled water is not all equal in quality either, you need to check the ingredients and the source. Apparently a lot of bottled water starts life as tap water and then has a few minerals added to it. The testing for cryptosporidium and other 'nasties' isn't quite so rigorous for bottles as it is for tap water in most of Europe. I drink a lot of water so I'm usually quite particular!

Experts ( the French Govt?) recommend that you change your brand of bottled water every so often to avoid a build up of minerals that might be harmful in high doses. Also, water in glass bottles may be safer than plastic.

We drink the brand H2O which is purified water, but that's not really a recommendation as I don't know which is the safest to drink!

Did you know that EVIAN written backwards spells NAIVE? I think I'd rather drink the tap water if I could be sure it was safe!

Susan

Iron pipes are not generally used now in new places.
In 1988 you would probally have had iron pipes in your hotel Trev, a relative was having a villa built that year and yes, there were still iron pipes. Our 1960's built house had iron pipes, but we replaced them about 10 years ago when we had the bathrooms redone with grey plastic pipes that had started being used a few years previously.
sdwill, as you live in a rented apartment it is possible the hot water tank sat idle for a while and sediment could have collected at the bottom. You could try draining it completely to get rid of this - but please don't forget to turn the power supply to it off first

If you have any laundry that has turned a dodgy colour you can try and rescue it with "Ace Candeggina Gentile" or "Omino Bianco," find them near the fabric conditioners, add 100ml per washing load - safe for coloureds, silks, wool etc.

Like gozomark and m&n I prefer tea and coffee to be made with bottled water.
I prefer to make soups with bottled water, the crazy thing is I then add salt

Thanks for the laundry tips ingliza. Luckily nothing has suffered so far!

Susan

Hi ingliza,

Thanks for the info. My parent's house, which was built in 1938 had some iron water pipes and they weren't removed until during the 1980s when they had central heating installed. Mind you - shock horror - I remember many of the pipes were made of lead which you might know is a poison that slowly builds up in the body and settles out in the brain. I'm glad to say those pipes have also been replaced with less toxic copper ones.

Just out of interest do you know if they ever used lead pipes in Malta? There's no doubt that the modern plastic piping is much better, more versatile and safer!

Trev