15 Countries with the Cleanest Tap Water in the World in 2018

Clean drinking water and access to it are becoming more and more important issues, so here we will go through some of the countries with the cleanest tap water in the world in 2018.

How important this issue is can be seen from the fact that 2.1 billion people do not have access to drinking water in homes and even double the number lack proper sanitation. So having this in mind it is essential to know where the water issue is taken seriously and which the methods and ideas are for providing more people with access to clean tap water. Here we will see some of the countries with the cleanest tap water in the world, but considering the best tap water in the world in cities, we have done some research for the US, so you might be interested in checking out which the 15 Cities with the Cleanest Tap Water in the US in 2017 are.

There were no particular comparable researches or best tap water in the world rankings done, so we used different sources, more or less depending on subjective experiences, for the countries with the cleanest tap water in the world. So we did similar research on the topic for 2018, as for the 21 Countries with the Purest Best Tasting Tap Water in the World (although this article is more oriented towards the best tasting tap water in the world). We have gone through forums like Lonely Planet’s one, Quora, and Trip Hobo. Also, some companies working with water purifiers and water, in general, have provided some information on the countries with the cleanest tap waters, like Total Soft Water, Discount Filters or Wildon UK. Then we have checked the countries suggested on these resources on WHO and UNICEF joint project on global drinking water and sanitation data, which is also how we have ranked the countries on our list.

Now, it seems from what we’ve got from the research was as expected: the best drinking water in the world comes from more developed and wealthy countries that have high standards for purification of water and hygiene and sanitation on high levels. On the other hand, the worst tap water in the world is to be expected in less developed and developing countries, where there is also lack of access to drinking water which is the case in countries like Angola, Papua New Guinea od Chad.

So, let’s check out which the countries with the cleanest tap water in the world in 2018 are:

15. USA

Tap water in the USA is safe almost everywhere in the country, though the taste is the different issue here. Probably that is the case why many people chose bottled over tap water.

14. Singapore

By following the guidelines of World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, quality of tap water in Singapore is on the high level.

13. Iceland

Perfect safety and cleanness of tap water bring Iceland among the countries with the cleanest tap water in the world (though in some places it might have a weird smell which is the cause of the origin of the water – geothermal sources).

12. Germany

For some reason, Germans prefer bottled water (which will also be offered in restaurants) over tap water which is perfectly safe and clean in this country. Whatever the case for this is, hopefully, people will realize the level of environmental pollution caused by plastic waste and use a better source for drinking water which is also freely provided.

11. Finland

Having raised issues of ecology (having a serious water pollution problem until some 30 years ago), and having very high standards in general, the country of thousand lakes, Finland, is one of the countries with the cleanest tap water in the world in 2018.

10. Canada

Water in Canada is among the cleanest tap waters in the world, being safe to drink everywhere, and tasting excellent, according to experiences of Lonely Planet’s travelers.

9. Greenland

Greenland has one of the cleanest water resources in the world, so the tap water in this country does not have to go through a heavy purifying process.

8. Australia

Though taste might vary (as everywhere though), tap water in Australia is perfectly safe and clean to drink and will be offered freely in restaurants.

7. Norway

The quality and sanitation standards of tap water in Norway are at the topmost level which brings this one, among those countries with cleanest tap water in the world in 2018.

6. Denmark

Clean drinking water that comes from the clean underground resource is a completely normal thing in Denmark, so you will probably get a glass of fresh tap water served instead of being offered bottled water.

5. Spain

Scoring 100% for both sanitation and tap water safety, Spain is one of the countries that have among cleanest tap waters (and the matter of taste preferences is another issue).

4. Sweden

Since environmental issues are important for Sweden, the matter of clean tap water is among the most important as well, which is why this country has among the cleanest tap waters in the world.

3. New Zealand

Scoring 100% for both sanitation and tap water safety, New Zealand surely deserves a high place on the countries with the cleanest tap water in the world in 2018 list.

2. Austria

Austria is rich with fresh mountain water which comes from fresh Alpine reservoirs directly to the taps of Vienna.

And now, let’s see where the cleanest water in the world can be found.

1. Switzerland

According to all sources, Switzerland has the most votes being the first among the countries with the cleanest tap water in the world in 2018. It’s no wonder, having in mind all those fresh water supplies and high standard of the country.