The Water Tap

The water that flows directly from the tap in Iceland is usually of the highest quality known. It may also be fun to know that the water we are drinking can be more than a thousand years old. If there is something wrong with your tap water, it is usually because of corrosion in the pipes that lie from the house to the water main in the street. If there is too much oxygen in the water, the water becomes corrosive. Too little oxygen, however, makes the water less drinkable. If there is a brown-reddish color in your drinking water, the reason is most likely because of iron (Fe) in it. Iron is not dangerous and thus the brown color is more a nuisance than a calamity.

Even though cold water is plentiful in Iceland, some energy is spent heating up water in pipes, taps and WC´s. Cold water inside the houses warms up and carries some heat away from the home.