Water in Mallorca is very different from water sources in other countries. So how do you go about getting safe drinking water without contributing to the plastic problem?
Plastic bottled water is what most newcomers to Mallorca turn to as it is a quick option to obtain safe drinking water. The truth is most of the bottled water bought in supermarkets are not taken from the pristine, natural surrounding as advertised on their bottles. In fact, the majority of the water in plastic bottles comes from filtered tap water. In addition, bottled water on average is 600 times more expensive than tap water. And obviously, there is also the impact of the plastic on the environment. These single-use water bottles take large amounts of energy to produce and toxic chemicals are used when manufacturing them. These contribute to the greenhouse gases and other hazardous gases which are harmful to all of us. Therefore, looking for alternative sources is necessary for both financial and environmental reasons.
So is it safe to drink the tap water in Mallorca? Emaya, the water company which supplies water in Palma, state that the tap water in Palma is safe and drinkable. On their web page, Emaya provides information about how they keep, disinfect and clean the water. They do this by filtering the water and using disinfectants such as chlorine. This does mean that the water can have a slight taste and smell of chlorine but it is still totally safe to consume.
But this only holds true for some of the municipalities in Mallorca. Manacor and Costixt are examples of places where the water is not safe to either drink nor cook with. In these places, it is necessary to take measures to enable to get a cheaper method of obtaining safe water than buying plastic water bottles.
If you are uncertain of or want to check how safe the tap water is in your home, you can test it. You can go to your local pharmacy and they will provide you with a bottle which you will need to fill with your tap water and then bring to them. The pharmacy will analyse the water for you and identify how safe it is for around 50€. This process will take about a week.
Alternatives to avoid using single-use plastics: A big problem people come across when drinking tap water in Palma is the taste. A quick and easy solution is the Brita jar. Brita is a company that produces filter jars that remove the taste of the chlorine in the tap water and make it taste better. The filters come in cartridges which have to be changed every month. These can easily be bought in Müller for 40€ per 6 cartridges. These cartridges can be placed in jugs which can also be bought in Müller. Brita cartridges change the waters taste directly so it is a quick and efficient method.
If the tap water is undrinkable a solution would be to use returnable and refillable water bottles. In Mallorca, Agua 3 Glops provides this service and it even delivers these bottles to your home. This option allows less plastic to be used, your water tastes pure and relatively cheap; 7.35€ for a bottle of 18.9 litres. With this, you can opt to get the machine dispenser for free and pay 20€ for the maintenance and service of the bottles. In addition, Agua 3 Glops is a corporate social initiative company
The other most common solution is filtering the water. Installing water filtering systems in your house purifies the water and gives an excellent taste. We can recommend the following companies:
Aguakmzero uses an innovative filtering system that allows you to enjoy pure and filtered water straight from your tap. They have a wide selection of personalized systems starting from as low as 30 Euro/month. The contact person for this company in Mallorca is: Matthieu Morvant, Email: matthieu@puigmon.com, Tel. +(34) 650 522 298.
Aguaris is another company which provides a machine to filter your tap water to make it drinkable and safe. This technology consists of a combination of 3 filters which remove the calcium and any other impurities to convert the tap water into tasteful, safe drinking water. The installation can easily be done by yourself as no cutting of pipes is involved. This option also allows you to quickly access an unlimited amount of safe drinking and cooking water. Aguaris provides 600,000 litres for 1741.19€. This includes a 10-year guarantee.
Another problem that a lot of people face is how to go about plastic bottled sparkling water. It is a normal thing that most people do without realizing the impact on the environment. The solution is SodaStream which is a small machine that can turn normal drinking water into sparkling water by a press of a button. This machine is easily found in stores just like Müller or Planeta Huerto and is very basic to use. The price ranges from 50€ to 180€ depending on what brand you decide to purchase from.
Team Assistant@ BO Mallorca
