Why does tap water taste different everywhere in the Netherlands?
Perhaps you have noticed that one glass of tap water you drink in the Netherlands tastes completely different from another. These differences were highlighted earlier in this tap water study. It showed that tap water in Utrecht tastes the best, while tap water in the north of the country tastes the least pleasant.
Tap water taste in the Netherlands
But how can water from Brabant be so different from water from Drenthe? And what makes Utrecht water taste so good? After all, our drinking water consists mainly of groundwater, which seeps through various layers of soil and is filtered. Because of this filtering, you might think that the final product flowing from the tap cannot differ that much. But it definitely does.
The soil makes the difference
The location is precisely what determines the taste. Groundwater from the coast contains different natural substances and minerals than groundwater from a wooded area. Lime, iron and magnesium are minerals that make up a significant part of water. So are sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Water containing few minerals often has a softer taste, unlike water with a lot of calcium, which produces a hard taste and is therefore less pleasant.
Perfect little water
Water may not have an overwhelming amount of flavor, but the flavors it does contain still differ. In the provinces of Groningen, Overijssel and North Holland, hard water comes from the tap, which experts consider not particularly tasty. In Gelderland and South Holland, the water is pleasantly soft and has a more refined taste. But the very best? That really is found in the middle of the country, thanks to the perfect mineral composition.
Bar-le-Duc & Sourcy
That delicious Bar-le-Duc water you can buy in cartons at the supermarket is Dutch mineral water, sourced from… Utrecht! It is extracted near the Lage Weide industrial estate in Utrecht at a depth of 140 meters. Sourcy mineral water is also extracted from the heart of the Netherlands, at a depth of 130 meters at the foot of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug in Bunnik.
Read also:
- Dutch people do not want to pay for tap water on the terrace
- Thirsty on vacation? In these countries, you pay nothing for a carafe of water
- Tap water shame is apparently a thing (in Belgium)
