Is the tap water safe to drink in Italy?
Yes, as a rule. WHO and UNICEF put safely managed drinking water in Italy at 96.8% for 2024. Italians themselves are more cautious: in 2024, 28.7% of households told the national statistics office, Istat, that they didn't trust tap water enough to drink it.
What the official figures say
In Rome, the street fountains known as nasoni run on the same mains as people's homes, and the utility, ACEA, tests the water on the same schedule.
Why a public tap can still be different
Ornamental fountains in piazzas aren't for drinking, and a village fountain in the hills may be spring-fed. The signs make it clear: acqua potabile is drinking water, and acqua non potabile means don't drink it.
Check the tap, then tell the next person
Look for the sign and check the spout before filling up. When you find a fountain you can drink from, add it to Fontavio or review it; in the heat of an Italian summer, other visitors will be glad of it.
Sources
- WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme, household drinking water data (2025 update, estimates for 2024) (checked 2026-09-22)
- Istat, Le statistiche sull'acqua, anni 2020-2024 (checked 2026-09-22)
- ACEA, The Nasoni (checked 2026-08-03)
Get it before the next long walk.
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