Expert: tap water is safe to drink in Hungary

Márta Vargha made a statement regarding the fact that in recent days, ambiguous information regarding the quality of drinking water appeared in the press.

“Those who drink tap water are doing very well,” the expert stated. He emphasized: drinking water is the most frequently checked food, the quality of which is regularly checked not only by the public health center, but also by drinking water providers.

According to him, quality control means four inspections a year even in the case of the smallest settlement, while in larger settlements inspections are carried out even on a daily basis. On an annual level, the quality of drinking water is determined based on 50-60 thousand samples and up to one million tests, he pointed out.

Márta Vargha indicated that there are nine settlements across the country where drinking water quality improvement investments are still underway. 37,000 people live in the affected nine settlements. Drinking water is safe everywhere else, he stated.

According to the water hygiene expert, the reason for the misunderstanding could be that quality is examined based on several characteristics. More than sixty parameters are checked due to health risks, in the case of which a specified limit value cannot be exceeded, he explained. However, there are also features – he continued – that require attention due to operational or aesthetic aspects, but do not pose a health problem.