Yes. Tap water in Paris is safe to drink. It is supplied by Eau de Paris, the city’s public water utility, treated to French and EU drinking-water standards and tested constantly from source to tap. You can drink it from your hotel tap, ask for a free carafe of water in restaurants and refill your bottle at public fountains all over the city. The only common complaint is a slight chlorine taste, which is harmless.

How safe is Paris tap water?

Drinking water is one of the most closely monitored foods in France. Eau de Paris runs its own laboratories and analyzes samples taken at every stage: at the springs and rivers, at the treatment plants, in the reservoirs, throughout the distribution network and at consumers’ taps. The regional health authority (ARS) also carries out independent checks, and results are published.

Paris water is generally well within the limits set by EU rules. Nitrate levels, for example, are typically well below the 50 mg/L legal maximum. As with other European utilities, newer substances such as PFAS are being monitored more closely, and you can read the latest results on the Eau de Paris website if you want detail.

For a short visit, there is no reason to buy bottled water for health reasons. The same is true in most of the country; see our guide on whether you can drink tap water in France.

What does it taste like?

A small amount of chlorine is added to keep the water safe as it travels through the pipes, so you may notice a faint taste or smell. It is harmless. If it bothers you, fill a jug or open bottle and leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours: the chlorine evaporates and the water tastes cleaner and colder.

Paris water is also fairly hard, meaning it is rich in calcium and magnesium. That is good for you (it contributes a little to your daily calcium intake), but it leaves limescale on kettles and shower heads. Sodium content is low.

Where Paris water comes from

Roughly half of Paris’s drinking water comes from groundwater and springs, much of it in the countryside southeast and west of Paris, carried to the city by long 19th-century aqueducts such as the Vanne, the Loing and the Avre. The other half comes from the Seine and the Marne, treated at large plants upstream of the city at Orly and Joinville.

Before it reaches your tap, the water goes through several stages of treatment, which can include filtration, activated carbon and disinfection. It is then stored in reservoirs around the city, such as Montsouris in the 14th arrondissement, Saint-Cloud, L’Haÿ-les-Roses, Ménilmontant and Montmartre, before distribution.

Two water networks

Paris has an unusual feature: a second, separate network of non-drinking water, taken from the Seine and the Canal de l’Ourcq with little treatment. It is used to wash streets, clean sewers and water parks. You will see it gushing along gutters in the morning. The two networks never mix, and any tap or fountain intended for drinking is supplied from the treated network. Don’t drink from street hydrants, ornamental fountains or anything marked eau non potable.

Drinking water in restaurants

In a French restaurant or café, ask for une carafe d’eau and you will be brought a jug of tap water at no charge. If you just ask for “water,” the server may offer bottled mineral water (eau plate for still, eau gazeuse for sparkling), which is added to your bill. Asking for a carafe is completely normal and Parisians do it all the time. For more etiquette, see our guide to eating out in Paris.

Public drinking fountains in Paris

Paris has more than a thousand public drinking fountains, so a refillable bottle will save you money and plastic. The most famous are the green cast-iron Wallace fountains, donated by the English philanthropist Sir Richard Wallace in the 1870s and now a symbol of the city. You will also find modern fountains in parks and squares, and a number of fountains that dispense chilled sparkling water for free.

• Eau de Paris publishes a map of drinking fountains, and many mapping apps show them too.
• Some fountains are switched off in winter to protect them from frost.
• The water at public fountains is the same treated tap water you get at home.

In summer, fountains are a real help on hot days. See our tips for hot summer days in Paris.

Are there any concerns?

• Old pipes: the public network no longer uses lead, but some very old buildings may still have lead in their private plumbing. If you are staying in an old apartment, run the cold tap for a minute when the water has been standing overnight, and use cold rather than hot tap water for drinking and cooking.
• Babies: if you are traveling with an infant, follow your pediatrician’s advice on water for bottles. Many French parents use bottled water labeled as suitable for infants.
• Taste: a filter jug can remove the chlorine taste if you are staying longer, but it is not needed for safety.

Bottled water in Paris

Bottled water is easy to find in supermarkets, bakeries and kiosks. Popular French brands include Evian, Volvic and Vittel (still), Badoit and Perrier (sparkling), and mineral-rich waters such as Hépar and Contrex. It is much cheaper in a supermarket than in a café or at a tourist site. It is a matter of taste rather than safety: bottled water is not healthier than Paris tap water. If you are watching your budget, our tips on saving money in Paris can help.

Summary

You can safely drink tap water in Paris. It is tested more rigorously than most foods, it is free in restaurants if you ask for a carafe d’eau, and you can refill a bottle at Wallace fountains and other public fountains throughout the city. If you notice a chlorine taste, chill the water in an open jug and it will fade. Avoid only water marked as non-potable, and take a little extra care in very old buildings.