Is tap water in hotels a sustainable solution or a hygiene risk?

Tap water is currently enjoying a revival in hotels, restaurants and bars. Under the slogans of sustainability, reducing CO₂ emissions and saving money, many businesses, and increasingly influencers on social media, are promoting purified tap water as a cheaper and more environmentally friendly alternative to bottled water. Modern filter systems such as Purezza, BWT, and Brita claim to provide the best possible water quality straight from the tap. But what about hygiene, maintenance, and accountability?

Treated tap water is becoming increasingly common, particularly in luxury hotels. Carafes of still or sparkling water are available at breakfast buffets and bars are selling 'house-filtered water'. Often at prices barely lower than bottled mineral water.

The advantages for hotels are obvious:

- Lower logistics costs

- No bottle deposits or storage

- A positive sustainability factor for marketing

- Significantly higher margins

At the same time, guests can be assured that they are receiving equivalent quality, sometimes even 'better than mineral water'.

However, quality begins with maintenance, not the filter. From a technical point of view, high-quality filter systems can deliver good water. Activated carbon, membrane and reverse osmosis filters can reduce odour, taste and certain residues.

However, the hygienic condition of the entire distribution chain is often overlooked:

- filter cartridges

- Pipes inside the device

- taps and

- in particular, carafes, bottles and caps

Foreign objects are found in bottle caps

A personal example illustrates where the weak point lies: At a 4-star hotel in Hamburg, only treated tap water from a Purezza system was available at breakfast. A closer look at the inside of the bottle cap revealed several foreign objects.

Many guests overlook this detail, which has nothing to do with the quality of the tap water, but rather with cleaning and inspection. Incidentally, this is not the first time I have come across this issue.

Is tap water automatically more hygienic?

In Germany and many other European countries, tap water is of a good quality.

Nevertheless, the following applies:

- Tap water is not sterile

- If not properly maintained, filter systems can become sources of germs.

- Stagnant water in carafes can encourage the growth of biofilms

Mineral water, on the other hand, is subject to:

- industrial bottling standards

- sealed supply chains

- clear traceability

This makes it safer, especially in the HoReCa industry.

Conclusion

If the following conditions are met, filtered tap water in hotels can be a practical and sustainable solution:

- documented maintenance intervals

- regular hygiene training for staff

- consistent cleaning of carafes and caps

- transparent communication with guests

Without these actions, tap water is not necessarily more hygienic than mineral water.

In fact, it can become a blind spot in quality management.

Sustainability goes beyond avoiding plastic or glass bottles. It begins with care, control and responsibility. This is especially important where water is served or sold as a food product.

I also believe that treated tap water should be offered to guests at a significantly lower price than mineral water, and that systems should not be used for profit.

Please note: I have not addressed the topic of 'taste' in this article.

With this said: Drink water, #stayhydrated

Best regards,

Timo Bausch

Certified Water Sommelier

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About Timo Bausch

My fascination with mineral waters began in 2016 during my training as a Water Sommelier. Since then, I have been exploring the characteristics and diversity of water. In addition to pairing water with food, wine, coffee and other beverages, I offer the creation of water menus for restaurants and hotels. Furthermore, it is also important to me to draw attention to the importance of drinking water.