We live in a time full of ease. Electricity, cars, sewerage and running water are the most normal things in the world for us. How easy is it that you can tap hot water out of the tap, and not to heat up buckets for a bath just like in the past?
Cold tap water in the Netherlands is super safe. Water companies check that strict and ensure that it can be drunk without problems. But it is different with warm water.
That does not come directly from the water pipe, but first goes through a boiler, geyser or hot water pipe in your house. And there is the problem: hot water absorbs metals from pipes and devices more easily. According to water company WMD, small amounts of copper or even lead can end up.
In older houses with lead pipes, for example, lead can come into the water. That is especially bad for young children and pregnant women, says RIVM.
Another risk is bacterial growth. Warm water that stands still for a long time, for example in a boiler or pipe that is not often used, can become a breeding ground for bacteria such as Legionella. Legionella can also occur in cold water, but does not multiply quickly at temperatures below 20 degrees.
The legionella bacterium is especially dangerous if you breathe in sprayed water (as with a shower), drinking is not immediately harmful. Yet it is smart to properly maintain hot water pipes and to flush regularly.
Water companies guarantee that cold tap water is from top quality to your water meter. But what happens next depends on your own pipes and devices. So hot water no longer has a strict quality control, because it is further heated and stored within your house.
Waterbedrijf WMD says that it is better to take cold tap water and heat it up yourself. That remains safe. Cooking water taps, such as a Quooker, also have a stainless steel reservoir, so that no metals enter the water there.
Do you want hot water quickly, for example for tea or warm lemonade? Then just use cold tap water and heat it yourself in a kettle or pan. Then you know for sure that there are no unwanted substances in it.
Of course you don’t have to do this if you are going to wash your hands, wash, shower or let a bath fill. It is only about water that you want to drink, or where you will cook your broccoli, for example.
And if you have not used water for a while, for example after a vacation, let the hot water tap first run. This way you rinse away any dissolved metal.
Drinking warm water from the tap is therefore not a good idea. What is a good idea? Submitting your question to find it out! Do you also have a question that you want to know about? Send it in and we’ll find it out!