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Another 24% of people in Luxembourg said they drink tap water occasionally, in a survey carried out by TNS Ilres. Only 18% said they don’t drink tap water at all, compared to 60% in 2006.

“The results of this study constitute the starting point of an initiative aiming to promote drinking tap water as a healthy and sustainable habit,” said environment minister Carole Dieschbourg presented the study results on 12 February.

More than three quarters of those who increased their tap water consumption said this was because of the environment, with over half saying it was cheaper and more practical.

However, people indicating they drink less tap water now than a decade ago, said this was because it had too much limescale (48%), they didn’t trust the quality (46%) or they didn’t like the taste (40%).

Only 8% of respondents overall said they drink tap water when going out to a restaurant. A petition in 2019 had proposed making it mandatory for restaurants to offer tap water to their customers, even at a small fee. The government and lawmakers said they did not want to regulate access to tap water and little has come of the initiative since.

A majority of survey respondents (94%) agreed that water is a precious and limited resource and must be protected.

They survey was commissioned by the environment ministry, the water management administration (AGE) and the Luxembourg association of water services (Aluseau), with 1,004 Luxembourg residents taking part.

“Tap water in Luxembourg is one of the most regulated, controlled and safe foods available,” said Jean-Paul Lickes, director of the water management authorisation. “In 2020 alone, the AGE analysed 4,360 water samples from the water network, reservoirs, sources and springs,” he said, with communes and water syndicates carrying out another 7,500 analyses.

To make information on water quality more accessible, the government has launched a new website, drenkwaasser.lu.