[zenir]

Most tap water in Germany is "recycled" water. I think this goes for most of Europe? Drinking tap water and adding your on carbonate is even a thing here (German use the word as synonym for carbonated water). "If anything, recycled wastewater is relatively sweet" - Said no tap water drinker ever There are still worlds between the US and Europe..

[anotheryou]

I think this is not true.

Usually the recycled waste-water is send in to the rivers.

The fresh water usually comes from dams, ground water or river bank filtration (you don't suck out of the river, but from a well right next to it, so it get's filtered by the ground in between).

The water from the dams tastes really really good. The one from the big river (at least in my town) is very rich in minerals, not exactly the tastiest, but perfectly fine to drink too. The minerals build up in water cattle though and are annoying to clean off.

German tap-water is usually cleaner than german bottled water I think.

In the warmer parts of europe water is often is chlorinated I think, wouldn't want to drink it.

I didn't read the article, but I'd be afraid of purely recycled water. I know the fish have problems because of contraceptives, which are hard to filter out and in Great Britain there are traces of ataractics even in the ground water.

[djrogers]

Not true - ground water accounts for 80% of Germany's drinking water, with reservoirs accounting for the rest. Germany has a very strong set of waste water treatment laws, but that treated water is either used commercially, for irrigation, or dumped into rivers and lakes, just like it is here in the US.

Before you get all high and mighty with your anti-americanism, check your facts.

[_Codemonkeyism]

Not sure what -he- meant with "There are still worlds between the US and Europe", but there are worlds between Germany and the parts of the US (large cities West and East coast) where I've been.

A lot of water has such a heavy chlorine smell and taste, I can't drink it - same goes for US soft drinks that are created with tap water, can't drink. There is practically no smell or taste in German tap water [0].

[0] I might be biased and not taste it any longer because of growing up here

[legulere]

Is it? I think most water here in Germany comes from a long-distance water supply that is filled with water from aquifers (which regenerate fast enough though).

Sure, the wastewater gets treated to be extremely clean, but I think it just gets pumped into rivers.