Drinking water abroad / ice in drinks etc

[Afterfire]

I’ve read that you shouldn’t drink tap water in most countries abroad - I’m thinking Spain / Turkey etc. But then I see photos of people on holiday with ice in their drinks / drinking slushies etc. Do people not get unwell from doing this?

I am going to Ibiza for my first holiday in a very long time next year and I’ve got autoimmune issues which mean that if I get food poisoning etc I could potentially need emergency medical treatment (I have Addison’s disease). So I want to be cautious - so I was planning to drink bottled water and use it for washing fruit / brushing teeth etc so I’m guessing I’ll avoid ice as well? Others don’t seem to be bothered at all though!

Am I being daft?!!

Spain tap water is perfectly safe to drink.

You are right that 40 years ago, tap water wasn't maintained at drinking water standards but it is now so you have no need to worry.

You’re being very daft. That’s advice from the early 70s. Spain is subject to the same regulations on water safety and supply as the rest of the eu, ie as the Uk was pre brexit. I have of course no idea on whether viral auto immune conditions could be exacerbated by a bacterial infection though so maybe speak to your doc. Ibiza is very developed Europe, not backwater / undeveloped Asia or Africa.

Years ago you it was advised to avoid tap water abroad due but these days if you are in the EU you are quite safe to drink tap water as they water quality and safety regs are the same in these countries as the UK.

It might taste different due to different mineral content.

Outwith the EU there will be many countries where it is safe to drink but its worth a bit of research first to check.

Ok thank you. I feel a bit embarrassed- but at least I’m asking! 🫣😁

I’m 41, I just haven’t been abroad for about 20 years!

Is it the same for Turkey?? Thinking of going there for my next holiday.

You are being a little bit daft.

can remember having to have cholera jabs for Spain 50 years ago: it’s a very different place now!

enjoy your holiday 😃

Um, Ibiza is different from mainland Spain, as it's an island without advanced facilities. Don't drink the tap water
Most bars etc have bags of ice they use for drinks etc so should be fine

Yes you can drink tap water in Turkey but it has quite a lot of
minerals in it so some people don’t like how it tastes.

Really appreciate the replies. Thank you.

I’ve been googling and there appears to be mixed responses so I thought I’d come here and ask as I know a lot of people travel a lot on Mumsnet 😁.

That’s interesting. Thank you. Hmmm! Would the bags of ice not be made from tap water though?

I don't know about Spain but tap water in Turkey is safe, it just doesn't taste very nice as it contains a lot of minerals so it's better to drink bottled water. It is perfectly fine to wash fruit, brush your teeth, boil for cooking etc.
Ice these days comes in bags and they are made from bottled water.

Don't worry x

in costal regions in spain they use sea water as tap water, i.e. salt water.

No I really wouldn’t in Turkey. I ended up in hospital with food poisoning and when they tested a sample it was from the water and must have been ice in drinks. Went back a year later and I was ill again.

Spain I think you’re fine but I always use bottled water to brush my teeth abroad and now ask for drinks with no ice just to be on the safe side.

As a resident in Spain, this thread is hilarious and depressing at once!

We don’t use salt water in our taps ffs! I dread to think how my quooker boiling water tap would cope with that. Or my hair.

They do have a desalination plant in gran canaria though. But it results in desalination of the water.

but not complete removal of the salt.

it's fine for cooking (pasta water) and washing but doesn't taste nice at all. and I would worry about my blood pressure

Googling suggests tap water is not drinkable everywhere in turkey. You are best to ask advice about a specific place once you've booked. Locals will be able to tell you in five minutes

No the bags of ice are made from bottled water that's why the bars and restaurants buy them . I have lived in Ibiza over the years and never seen any Ibiza resident drinking out of the tap

My brother has lived in Turkey for eight years,
He only drinks bottled water.

A bit of a mixed bag of replies! It’s good to know that the ice usually comes in bags from bottled water, that’s one less thing to worry about and there’s nothing like having a really cold drink with ice in it in the sun!

Sorry to hear you ended up unwell. 💐

I was in Ibiza a number of years ago. I found the tap water very salty, so couldn't drink it. I'm usually happy to drink the tap water in the EU, but had to buy bottled water in Ibiza.

As part of Spain, Ibiza is subject to the same quality and safety standards. Just because its an island doesn't mean they are not 'advanced'.

We were told by a rep that the drinking water was perfectly safe but that you might et a bit of a tummy upset due to now being used to the different mineral content.

No they don’t