When you turn on the tap in a major city, whether it is London or Paris, it is easy to assume the water flowing out is clean enough to trust. Many of us never stop to think twice about it. According to an analysis of global water quality by World Population Review, the UK and some European countries score a perfect 100 on a scale that measures health impacts from unsafe drinking water. These top scores place them among the world’s leaders for basic drinking water safety and often shape the perception that this part of the world enjoys some of the best tap water available.
Elsewhere, the picture looks very different. Some nations still struggle with access to safe tap water, and the contrast in scores is striking. Chad, for example, earns just 4.6 out of 100, which reflects the ongoing global challenges around sanitation, infrastructure, and waterborne diseases.
These huge differences remind us how fortunate many regions are. But they also prompt an important question. If several countries already sit at the top of the global rankings, what do those numbers actually measure, and what could they be leaving out? And most importantly, how confident should people really feel about the water they drink every day?
What global drinking water rankings actually measure
Global drinking water rankings tend to focus on the health risks linked to unsafe drinking water. In practice, this means they look at how many people become ill because their water contains harmful contaminants. A top score of 100 signals that almost no one in that country is becoming seriously unwell from routine tap water consumption.
Countries that sit at the top of these lists benefit from decades of investment in treatment plants, sanitation, and water safety policies. These efforts have dramatically reduced diseases such as cholera and dysentery, which once spread easily through contaminated water.
The picture is very different in countries that fall toward the bottom. Ageing systems, limited treatment capacity, and unreliable access to clean water mean that millions still face the daily risk of waterborne illness. It highlights just how uneven global progress remains and how much basic water safety still depends on infrastructure.
However, safe water and pristine water are not the same. Tap water that poses little risk of acute illness can still contain trace pollutants that slip past conventional treatment. These subtle contaminants are not reflected in the global rankings, which measure short-term health outcomes rather than long-term exposure.
This gap between safety and purity is important to understand, even for high-performing countries with strong water systems.
Which countries score highest for tap water safety?
Seven countries earn a perfect score of 100 for tap water safety: Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Greece, Switzerland, Finland, and Ireland.
These scores reflect strong public health protections and effective water treatment, but they do not account for every trace contaminant or modern pollutant that might still make its way into tap water. The rankings show how well each country prevents illness, not necessarily what else might be present in a glass of water.
The UK and Europe rank among the world’s cleanest tap water, but with caveats
Recent global assessments show that the UK and several European nations sit at the very top for safe drinking water. These high scores are encouraging, but they reflect only part of the story and do not capture everything that comes out of the tap.
High performers in tap water safety
Across the UK and Europe, tap water is considered some of the cleanest drinking water available. Years of investment in treatment facilities, strong regulatory oversight, and consistent monitoring mean that in cities such as London or Manchester, the likelihood of encountering a waterborne illness is extremely low.
Ten European countries, including the UK, share the highest ranking for overall water quality worldwide. It is a significant achievement and highlights the strength of the region’s water standards and infrastructure, which many other parts of the world are still striving to match.
Clean tap water does not always mean contaminant free
Meeting regulatory standards and having water that is completely free from unwanted substances are not the same thing.
Across Europe, water suppliers routinely check for many pollutants and follow strict safety limits. Even so, newer research shows that certain contaminants are far more common than most people expect, even in places celebrated for their ‘safe’ drinking water.
One investigation by Orb Media, for example, found microplastic fibres in 72% of tap water samples across Europe. These tiny particles, which can shed from clothing, packaging and other materials, turned up even in countries like the UK and Germany where water is considered exceptionally clean by microbiological measures.
Scientists are continuing to study what consuming these particles means for long-term health, but the thought of swallowing bits of plastic with every glass of water is understandably unsettling.
Health concerns and hard-to-spot contaminants in tap water
Another issue receiving more attention is the presence of chemical residues that slip through treatment processes. Agricultural fertilisers are one of the biggest contributors, as nitrates from farm runoff can seep into groundwater and make their way into tap water.
Greenpeace reports that around 14% of groundwater monitoring stations across Europe have nitrate levels that exceed the safe drinking limit.
Put simply, more than one in seven wells contain too much nitrate, a contaminant linked to conditions such as ‘blue baby’ syndrome and an increased risk of certain cancers.
The UK and EU have rules in place to control nitrate pollution, but intensive farming makes this an ongoing challenge, particularly in rural areas.
And nitrates are only part of the story. Tap water can contain trace amounts of many other substances, from chlorine byproducts to heavy metals in areas with ageing pipes, as well as ‘forever chemicals’ like PFAS. A 2021 report from the European Environment Agency found that only 29% of Europe’s surface water bodies were in good chemical status, with pollutants such as mercury and industrial chemicals present in the others.
So while tap water in the UK and Europe is unlikely to cause acute illness, it may still carry a mixture of modern pollutants that are harder to detect.
Bridging the gap between treatment and the tap
The positive news is that awareness of these challenges is growing. Across Europe, water regulators are updating standards and introducing new treatment methods designed to target the smaller, harder-to-remove pollutants. In several countries, large wastewater facilities are now required to include additional purification stages so that more pharmaceutical and cosmetic residues are removed before treated water is discharged into rivers.
These improvements take time, often require significant investment, and can involve long debates over responsibility and funding. While that work continues, households still ask what they can do to make sure the water they drink is as clean as possible.
1. Use point-of-use filtration
A practical step is point-of-use filtration, which simply means filtering water again right before it is consumed. This is where systems like AquaTru’s 4-stage reverse osmosis purifier play a role. Countertop or under sink models create an extra layer of protection beyond what municipal treatment can achieve. AquaTru’s technology is independently certified to remove up to 99% of contaminants, including toxic metals, nitrates, microplastics and drug residues, giving households access to reliably purified water.
Importantly, choosing a home filter does not imply a lack of confidence in local utilities. It is about capturing the finer particles and trace pollutants that may still pass through conventional treatment. It is a way of taking already good water and turning it into something exceptional.
2. Staying informed
Alongside filtration, staying informed matters too. Regulators and water suppliers across Europe publish drinking water reports that outline levels of substances such as nitrate, lead and pesticides. People using private wells may also need to test their water from time to time. These simple habits help ensure that even in places known for excellent water quality, families can still enjoy the best water quality possible at home.
A global contrast, a shared priority: clean drinking water
The differences in water quality around the world show how much infrastructure and governance influence something as ordinary as a glass of water. While conversations in places with strong treatment systems often revolve around microplastics or chemical traces, many regions are still focused on something more fundamental: reliable access to safe drinking water. Addressing that challenge will require long-term investment, effective policy and cooperation between nations.
For countries that already perform well in global assessments, one message remains clear. Do not assume water quality will always take care of itself. It is something to appreciate, but also something to understand. ‘Safe’ may protect against immediate illness, yet the bigger aim is water that is truly clean and supports health in the long run. With new contaminants being identified, progress relies on everyone playing a part. Regulators enhance treatment standards. Households stay informed. And brands with a commitment to innovation continue to raise the bar for what many people view as the best tap water available today.
Bringing out the best in your tap water with AquaTru
This is where AquaTru stands. Our work is guided by a simple belief that everyone deserves access to cleaner, healthier water. The technology we create, the research we support and the standards we uphold all work toward that shared global goal.
In the end, water quality is about more than a ranking. It is the confidence you feel when you fill a glass at home. There is still progress to be made before every community can rely on that same trust. Locally, households can take small steps toward better water. On a wider scale, AquaTru continues to contribute to raising standards. Every improvement matters, and every effort counts.
If you would like to explore solutions designed to support cleaner tap water at home, discover our water filters.
