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  • Can you drink tap water?

    Of course. Tap water is safe drinking water; in other words, it can be drunk at no risk to your health.

  • If the water in my home suddenly looks, tastes or smells unpleasant, can it be drunk?

    If you find your tap water is suddenly murky, or tastes or smells unpleasant, we recommend you contact our customer services.

  • Is there any need to install devices such as softeners or reverse osmosis filters in the home to improve the quality of my water?

    Tap water is drinkable and meets all legally-established quality standards. There is therefore no need to buy any additional devices to treat this water. What should be pointed out is that if you don’t choose these devices carefully, don’t monitor them regularly and don't maintain them properly, health risks might appear (contamination due to bacteria, excessive demineralization of the water, high sodium concentrations, etc.).

  • What is chlorine?

    Chlorine is the most commonly used water disinfectant in the world, due to its great effectiveness and reliability in removing all kinds of harmful bacteria that may be in the water, supply piping or storage tanks. Chlorine is added to drinking water at the minimum dose to provide a health guarantee (as established in legalisation) that is not harmful to people’s health.

    For this reason the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends it as the most appropriate disinfectant for water.

    Indeed, chlorination of drinking water is one of the most significant advances in public health.

  • Why is chlorination the most widely used disinfectant technique in the world for purifying water?

    Because the method provides the fullest guarantees for disinfecting water up to the consumers’ taps, preventing proliferation of pathogenic agents in tanks and pipes, while its innocuousness at the concentrations used has been fully demonstrated. For this reason the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends it as the most appropriate disinfectant for water.

  • How much chlorine does tap water contain?

    According to Royal Decree 140/2003, transposing European Directive 98/83/EC to state legislation, the concentration of chlorine in drinking water should not exceed the recommended level of 1 mg/l. Although state legislation does not establish a minimum level for free chlorine, many autonomous communities have set the value at 0.2 mg/l in their monitoring plans.

    Bearing in mind that chlorine disappears with residence time in water and temperature, among other factors, levels are controlled throughout the network. Thus, if it drops below the established limit in the pipeline before reaching consumers’ homes, small amounts of chlorine are added from the distribution network (rechlorination) to guarantee the sanitation quality of water.

  • Is it harmful to health?

    WHO states that chlorine is completely harmless to health at the legally established concentrations. The maximum concentrations of chlorine in tap water established by the organisation guarantee there is no risk to health.

    Indeed, chlorination of drinking water is one of the most significant advances in public health, as its lethal effect on bacteria and other microorganisms has helped prevent and eradicate many water-transmitted diseases. The presence of a suitable dose of chlorine after water treatment poses no health risk and protects water from pollutants, while also providing an indicator of adequate disinfection.

  • Why do I notice a taste I don’t like in the water while others don’t?

    Water contains a number of naturally dissolved substances that give it a characteristic flavour. This is natural. These dissolved substances depend mainly on the source of the water (ground, surface or sea water) and the geological composition of the land where the water flows, among other factors.

    We notice the taste when we change from a water we are used to, to one we are not.

  • What causes water hardness?

    As water flows through different types of terrain from its source in rivers or aquifers, it acquires the calcium and magnesium that determine hardness. Thus, the degree of hardness depends on the geological nature of the soil it flows through at its source. Consequently, soil containing limestone generates higher limestone content than granite soil.

  • Is hard water good for your health?

    Hard tap water poses no risk to human health, quite the opposite: the calcium and magnesium in hard water are essential to health.

    A calcium-rich diet is essential for bone tissue growth and maintenance, correct functioning of the cardiovascular system and hormone secretion. Age can produce a loss of bone mass and lead to osteoporosis. This can partly be alleviated by a high calcium intake.

    Water nowadays is a significant source of calcium, when one considers how consumption of dairy products has decreased. Thus, daily consumption of 1 to 1.5 litres of tap water provides 7% to 15% of the daily recommended amount of this nutrient. Calcium also plays an important role in children’s daily nutritional requirements and it is estimated that tap water provides between 15% and 20% of the daily dietary calcium requirements for children and adolescents.

    Magnesium is essential for numerous cell functions and bone mineralisation, transmission of neuromuscular and central nervous system activity and heart function. Consumption of 1 to 1.5 litres of tap water provides 5% to 20% of the daily recommended amount of magnesium.

  • How is water hardness measured?

    Water hardness is normally expressed as the calcium carbonate concentration (CaCO3) of water.

    Thus, water is classified in a number of ways based on the degree of hardness. One of the most commonly used systems is the Merck scale:

    0 – 79 mg CaCO3/l…………………………. Very soft water
     80 – 149 mg CaCO3/l……………………  Soft water
    150 – 329 mg CaCO3/l…………………… Semi-hard water
    330 – 549 mg CaCO3/l…………………… Hard water
    Más de 550 mg CaCO3/l……………….. Very hard water

    Water hardness can also be expressed in French degrees (ºfH) or German degrees (ºdH). The equivalence of these units to hardness expressed in mg/l of calcium carbonate is:

    1 ºFH = 10 mg CaCO3/l
    1 ºDH = 17,8 mg CaCO3/l

  • I need to know the water hardness to programme the dishwasher. Where can I find out?

    All data regarding the water you consume can be found on the public website of the National Water Information System. You can also find the link on our website in the Your Water / Water Quality Control section.

     

  • Is 1.5 litres of water a day enough?

    It’s difficult to establish the exact amount of water that a person should drink a day, as their needs can vary depending upon a number of factors, such as physical activity, the climate, age and gender, amongst others.

    The recommended consumption for healthy adults is 1 ml of water per kilocalorie ingested per day: in other words, between 2 and 3 litres a day.

    Of this amount, between 75 and 80% should be obtained from drinks (mainly water, milk, juices, teas and infusions, broths and soups, etc.), whilst the remaining 20 or 25% should come from solid foods such as fruit and vegetables.

  • Do you know how you should start and end the day?

    When we sleep, we lose water. This is why it is recommendable to drink at least one glass before bed and another on getting up.

  • Why do we need to be properly hydrated?

    When we sweat, our bodies lose water and mineral salts. Ninety-nine per cent of sweat is just water but it also contains minerals such as sodium, potassium, iron and magnesium.

    Proper hydration allows us to restore the water levels our body needs to prevent a number of ailments, such as vomiting, headaches, tiredness, dry skin, etc., which are all symptoms of dehydration.

  • Do you know why you shouldn't wait until you are thirsty to drink water?

    The water our bodies lose every day (more than 2 litres of it) must be replaced as soon as possible to prevent the dehydration process from starting.

    That’s why it’s so important not to wait until you feel thirsty, as this is itself a symptom of dehydration.

  • Should we drink more water if we exercise?

    Drinking half a litre of water two hours before exercising is vital to ensure proper hydration and give the body time to eliminate the excess water drunk.

    Whilst exercising, it’s advisable to drink at regular intervals, to replace all the water you lose when sweating. After exercise, it is important to drink to ensure you recover properly.

  • Is tap water good for an elite athlete?

    Yes, water is good for an elite athlete and indeed anyone who enjoys sport.

  • Can children drink water from the tap?

    Tap water is healthy for both adults and kids. It is important for kids to take compulsory breaks during training or games to drink enough water for hydration purposes.

  • Do the elderly need to drink more?

    It is important for older people to monitor their water consumption as, with age, changes occur to the kidney function and the feeling of thirst decreases significantly.

  • Do you that it is advisable to drink more water if you have the flu or diarrhoea?

    The common cold, the flu and diarrhoea often lead to dehydration, so you need to drink water regularly in such cases.

  • Why is better to have a shower than a bath?

    It’s better to shower; however, every minute we spend in the shower with the water can use up to 10 litres of water.

  • Which plants need the least watering?

    Plants needing the least watering are shrubs, and local and hardy plants. These are just as attractive as other plants but consume less water.

  • What’s the best time for watering the garden?

    First thing in the morning or at evening time, as you’ll make better use of the water, which doesn't evaporate so quickly then.

  • After use, where should I dispose of cooking oil?

    You should remove oil from frying pans using absorbent paper and throw it in the rubbish or, once cold, pour it into a watertight plastic container and take it to a waste collection point for recycling. Don’t pour it down the sink, because oil and water don’t mix and it is very difficult to eliminate it at wastewater treatment plants.

  • Why shouldn't you throw paint away by pouring it down the sink?

    It’s not recommended, because paint is a highly polluting substance. We would advise that you leave it to dry until it is a solid lump and then take it to your local municipal waste collection facility.

  • What about cigarette butts: can I throw them down the toilet?

    Please don’t throw your butts down the toilet: they contain nicotine and tar, substances that dissolve easily in water but are pollutants, even at small concentrations, and are difficult to eliminate during the treatment process. Throw your used cigarettes away with your rubbish, after they are properly extinguished.

  • What else shouldn't I throw away down the toilet?

    Wet wipes, medicines, earbuds, plastic, gauze, sanitary pads and condoms shouldn't be thrown down the toilet because, after they are flushed away, they can block pipes and affect the ability of wastewater to enter treatment plants. We recommend that you put a small bin in the bathroom for this kind of solid waste.