{"id":77,"date":"2015-08-18T15:30:48","date_gmt":"2015-08-18T13:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/?p=77"},"modified":"2025-12-07T18:09:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T17:09:54","slug":"water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/eatingdrinking\/water\/","title":{"rendered":"Drinking Water"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/water_thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Viennese water fountain\" class=\"wp-image-6383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/water_thumb.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/water_thumb-100x100.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Many visitors to a foreign city want to know if you can drink the water. Well, in Vienna, mineral water comes out of the taps. And I&#8217;m only half joking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The tap water in Vienna is generally very high quality<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drinking fountains quite common in tourist areas<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Summer sees Vienna add cooling stations throughout the city<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiqets.com\/en\/concerts-opera-vienna-tickets-l206741\/?partner=visitingvienna&amp;tq_campaign=LG_Water\" rel=\"sponsored\">concert experience<\/a>* for your trip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>See also:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/visitor-questions\/\">Common visitor questions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/traditional-food-drink\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1654\">Viennese food and drink<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/weather\/how-to-keep-cool\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"74122\">How to keep cool in summer<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can you drink the tap water in Vienna?<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/drinkingwater2024.jpg\" alt=\"A drinking fountain\" class=\"wp-image-80832\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/drinkingwater2024.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/drinkingwater2024-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(A common sight as you wander around the city: a public drinking fountain)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, you certainly can drink the water that comes out of the taps or use it to clean your teeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, you never realize how bad the tap water is back home until you experience the Viennese equivalent; Vienna&#8217;s water supply comes almost exclusively through two direct pipelines from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/mapsgeography\/alps\/\">Alps<\/a> mountains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These mountain areas sit in water protection zones in Lower Austria and Styria, with no significant industry and, frankly, few people all told.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/waterfountain.jpg\" alt=\"Drinking water fountain in Vienna\" class=\"wp-image-43505\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/waterfountain.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/waterfountain-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(The label &#8220;Erfrischend wienerisch&#8221; means refreshingly Viennese)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a result, this &#8220;Alpine&#8221; tap water is high quality and notably low in nitrogen. To be honest, it tastes as good as any mineral water I&#8217;ve ever tried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The authorities don&#8217;t even need to pump the water into the city: gravity does the job for them (producing some clean hydroelectric power as it does).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Incidentally, those two Alpine water pipelines have been around for many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div align=\"center\"><em>Ad:<\/em><br><\/div><div data-tiqets-widget=\"discovery\" data-cards-layout=\"horizontal\" data-slug-ids=\"exp206741,exp238032\" data-partner=\"visitingvienna\" data-tq-campaign=\"DA_ConcTour\"><\/div><script defer src=\"https:\/\/widgets.tiqets.com\/loader.js\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:25px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The first pipeline opened officially in 1873, an event celebrated in fountain form through the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/sights\/hochstrahlbrunnen-fountain\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"30035\">Hochstrahlbrunnen<\/a>. The route stretches up to 150km down from the Schneeberg, Rax and Schneealpe mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our post office recently issued special stamps celebrating the 150th centenary of this &#8220;Hochquellenleitung&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/waterstamps.jpg\" alt=\"Three people holding a giant stamp\" class=\"wp-image-87402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/waterstamps.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/waterstamps-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(From left to right: Wiener Wasser CEO Paul Hellmeier, Patricia Liebermann, Head of Philately, Austrian Post AG, and City Councillor for Climate J\u00fcrgen Czernohorszky presenting the special stamp; press photo \u00a9 PID\/VOTAVA)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A second pipeline then opened in 1910 and takes water up to 180 km from the Hochschwab mountain range.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In case you were wondering, the Viennese still buy vast quantities of mineral water. Sigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only in times of excessive water use (or repairs to the Alpine pipelines), does Vienna draw its water from elsewhere: sources in the Lobau, a large alluvial forest area in a national park alongside the Danube just east of the city. This water has a higher mineral content than the mountain equivalent.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/keintrinkwasser.jpg\" alt=\"Sign in German indicating you cannot drink the water\" class=\"wp-image-53548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/keintrinkwasser.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/keintrinkwasser-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(This sign tells you not to drink the water)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not that every water source is drinkable: if you see a <em>Kein Trinkwasser<\/em> sign, for example, this means the water is not suitable for drinking. You typically find such signs on large fountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you wander the city, you&#8217;ll come across water facilities put there for your refreshment. Look for the blue and silver columns pictured above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They explicitly label these taps as <em>Trinkwasser<\/em> (drinking water) to make it clear you can drink from them. Vienna has around 1600, and the city kindly provides a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wien.gv.at\/stadtplan\/en\/grafik.aspx?lang=en&amp;bookmark=7N0wxk0Qq8P2lFJHgwC5Ru5Rphlnqnnkur2pH4NpRL4C\">map of their locations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cooling facilities<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/watercooling2024.jpg\" alt=\"Public water sprayer\" class=\"wp-image-80833\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/watercooling2024.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/watercooling2024-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\">(A public misting pole)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In hot periods, the authorities also install a variety of water-based cooling facilities in busy areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These include mobile drinking fountains, as well as mist and water spraying devices designed to tackle urban heat: all part of a wider package to prevent and\/or ameliorate the effects of the climate emergency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The facilities sometimes come as a surprise if you&#8217;re not paying too much attention to your surroundings; you wander along a street in the blazing sunshine and have the unshakable feeling that someone just sprayed you with a plant mister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(For other ways to keep cool on hot days, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/weather\/how-to-keep-cool\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"74122\">read my suggestions<\/a>.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many visitors to a foreign city want to know if you can drink the water. Well, in Vienna, mineral water comes out of the taps. And I&#8217;m only half joking. Can you drink the tap water in Vienna? (A common sight as you wander around the city: a public drinking fountain) Yes, you certainly can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6383,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-77","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-eatingdrinking","8":"entry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=77"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87404,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/77\/revisions\/87404"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=77"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=77"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.visitingvienna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=77"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}