Knowledge base · Water supply
Can I drink water from the bathroom tap?
Use freshly drawn cold water from the kitchen mains tap for drinking and cooking. A bathroom cold tap may be supplied from a storage cistern, so you should not assume it has the same direct wholesome supply.
DWI specifically recommends the cold kitchen tap. It advises against using hot tap water for drinking or cooking because stored or heated water can contain higher levels of metals from plumbing, and it says bathroom taps may be tank-fed.
Some modern homes have mains-fed cold water at every tap, but identify the system rather than guessing. A plumber can trace supplies, and the water company can advise about drinking-water quality. Where a storage cistern supplies outlets, its lid, condition and overflow arrangement matter.
After water has stood for several hours, DWI advises drawing off standing water until fresh mains water arrives before using it for drinking. If the water suddenly changes taste, smell or appearance, compare taps and contact the water company.
Do not rely on the room name alone. In an altered house, the kitchen may have moved or a bathroom tap may have been re-piped. Trace the cold main from the internal stop tap or ask a plumber to do so. Where a cold-water cistern remains, keep it covered and maintained and do not treat water from it as the default drinking supply. Babies, anyone with specific medical needs and people using specialist equipment should follow advice from the relevant health professional and water company.
A label beside a non-drinking outlet is useful where guests might otherwise assume that every cold tap has the same supply.
Sources
- Taste and odour in drinking water — Drinking Water Inspectorate, accessed 14 November 2026.
- Chlorine — Drinking Water Inspectorate, accessed 14 November 2026.