How Good is the Water Quality in Switzerland?

It can happen that consumers in Switzerland open their taps and find that the tap water has poor quality. This article explores the reasons behind it and how good the tap water in Switzerland really is.

What Speaks in Favor of Using Tap Water?

✔ Most monitored food product in Switzerland (Drinking Water Limits)
✔ Water suppliers strive to meet all high standards
✔ Generally, very good tap water quality

What Speaks Against the Immediate Use of Tap Water?

⊗ Uncertainty about polluted, unhealthy drinking water due to pesticides & nitrate
⊗ Uncertainty about the condition of the pipes (corroded pipes, lead pipes)
⊗ Contaminated tap water due to poor installations or filter systems

The average water consumption per Swiss citizen is 170 liters per day. This drinking water is used for everyday purposes like cooking, washing, and, of course, drinking. It must be free from pathogens and pose no risk to humans or technical systems. In Switzerland, over 2000 water suppliers provide the population with drinking water.

Even though issues such as pesticides, hygiene indicators, and nitrate are repeatedly discussed in the media, the general water quality is very high. Often, the water can be used without significant treatment. If treatments are necessary, chlorination, UV radiation, or filtration are applied.

However, the most common causes of contaminated or polluted tap water often lie within the water pipes of the affected buildings themselves and are not the responsibility of the suppliers.

Test Your Well Water

Many homeowners trust well water, which is generally considered to be particularly pure and clear. In fact, the layers of soil through which the water seeps already act as an effective filter. Many pollutants are thus already removed from the groundwater in a natural way. However, water from household wells often does not meet the requirements of drinking water regulations. There are various reasons for this:

In many regions, pollutants enter the water cycle through agriculture, environmental pollution, or fertilizers. Furthermore, contamination can occur due to defective filters or the entry of contaminated water into the well water. The material of the well pipes can also release pollutants into the water.

✔ With a well water test, possible pollutants can be identified quickly. With umweltcheck.ch well water tests, you can reliably determine important parameters. This helps you assess whether your well water is suitable for drinking. Thanks to the clear and detailed results, you can see at a glance whether the water in your submitted water sample is of sufficient quality and whether it complies with the guidelines and limits of drinking water regulations.

Possible Reasons for Contaminated Well Water

• Natural occurrence of heavy metals in the soil layers
• Insufficient cover of the well
• Contaminated sites from industry, e.g., residues of chemicals, gasoline, or oil
• Dirty pumps, water filters, or pipes
• Outdated well system (shaft well)
• Unsuitable extraction points (hoses)
• Weather situations (flooding, rainfall)
• Irregular maintenance and inspection of the well
• Obsolete pipes and lines - heavy metals can lurk here!

Chemical Analysis - An Advantage for Your Own Well!

You can have a multitude of chemical values determined in our laboratory. These include nitrate, iron, or manganese. The parameter nitrate is moving into focus more and more, as industry and agriculture runoff can lead to considerable amounts entering the soil and groundwater. The current situation regarding nitrate in water leads to lively discussions. The more nitrate or other substances pollute the water (groundwater), the greater the effort involved in obtaining clean drinking water or well water through filtration and treatment.

Both iron and manganese are less of a health risk (significant amounts would have to be consumed here). However, technical systems can be impaired. Optical pollution (brown or black deposits and spots) are also a possible consequence of increased manganese or iron values. Investigate specific chemical parameters and relevant toxic heavy metals for safe and pure well water.

Wells in Switzerland

There are around 200 public fountains in the city of Basel alone. Public fountains are also popular in Zurich - more than 1,200 fountains are available to the public here. Then there are numerous private wells.

If you have your own well, you should always be informed about the water quality. While public drinking fountains are regularly checked by the Gemeinde, it is important for the private well owner to take care of the water quality in their own well.

A water test can provide information about heavy metal pollution, nutrient input, and other important parameters.

Sources (in German):

• Zürich Tourism - Public Fountains
• Wikipedia - Basler Brunnen
• Groundwater in Switzerland