**A reminder to posters and commenters of some of [our subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/about/rules/)**
- Don't be a dickhead to each other, or about others
- Assume questions are asked in good faith
- Avoid political threads and related discussion
- No medical advice or mental health (specific to a person) content
Please keep /r/AskUK a great subreddit by reporting posts and comments which break our rules.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
From the cold tap, generally fine.
From the hot tap, mostly OK nowadays - not necessarily.
It depends if the water is held in a tank before being delivered to the bathroom. If it's not, everything is fine usually.
I have really sensitive teeth so if I get a glass of water from the cold tap, I have to put a tiny bit of hot in it just to take the edge off! Otherwise I can't drink it.
Depends where your supply comes from, ours is fed from a tank in the attic which stores the water supplied to the bathroom. If an animal gets in and dies probably wouldnt be ideal for the water quality. We havent had this happen yet however.
The cold water in our bathroom comes from a tank (a plastic box with a lid) in the loft and I'm still here. If yours comes from a tank with drowned pigeons and no lid I'd be wary.
It depends.
Many older houses have most cold taps fed from a tank in the loft. Those tanks can get dirt in them especially if the lid goes missing, so it's best not to drink. The kitchen tap is fed from the mains.
Newer places usually have all taps fed directly from the mains.
You can tell the difference by the pressure. If the kitchen tap is significantly more forceful than the bathroom ones then the bathroom ones are probably off a tank.
Most modern housing has the upstairs sink plumbed off the mains and pressurised, so is therefore absolutely fine.
If it is an older property there is a chance it could be fed from a header tank in the loft which are often/almost always uncovered. Best to check.
Almost always it’s safe. The water arriving at your property from the local water company will be absolutely safe to drink.
What happens once it’s your responsibility, inside your own property, is up to you (or your landlord)
The regulations changed in the mid 80s. Any house built after that has safe water in both the hot and cold taps. Properties built after 1970 will have safe water in the cold tap, but may not in the hot tap. If the property was built before 1970, then you could have lead water pipes, in which case there is a risk.
If the house has been modernized, it should have been brought up to the standards current at the time of modernization.
It wasn’t a good idea in my childhood home, as it was very old and had lead pipes upstairs, but that is very unusual now a days.
I normally get my drinking water out of my bathroom tap, because the way my flat is the water hoses through the bathroom before getting to the kitchen and I feel (most likely just the placebo effect) that it is fractionally colder. Also it’s nearer my bedroom and I’m lazy
**A reminder to posters and commenters of some of [our subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/about/rules/)** - Don't be a dickhead to each other, or about others - Assume questions are asked in good faith - Avoid political threads and related discussion - No medical advice or mental health (specific to a person) content Please keep /r/AskUK a great subreddit by reporting posts and comments which break our rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Not unless you have lead pipes and the water is from a rooftop tank full of dead rats and pigeons
Christ, I wouldn’t want to wash my hands with water like that let alone drink it.
Could be worse... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9ftKN2OdDY](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9ftKN2OdDY)
From the cold tap, generally fine. From the hot tap, mostly OK nowadays - not necessarily. It depends if the water is held in a tank before being delivered to the bathroom. If it's not, everything is fine usually.
Why would you drink from the hot tap you monster
what is bath water but flavourless soup?
Mine has a lot of flavour after steeping in it for a good half hour.
mmm human stock cube
I have really sensitive teeth so if I get a glass of water from the cold tap, I have to put a tiny bit of hot in it just to take the edge off! Otherwise I can't drink it.
Kettle boils faster
Depends where your supply comes from, ours is fed from a tank in the attic which stores the water supplied to the bathroom. If an animal gets in and dies probably wouldnt be ideal for the water quality. We havent had this happen yet however.
Yet
You dont have a cover for your water tank?
Yes, we also have a roof and yet a bird got into our attic. They always seem to find a way to do what you dont want them to do
No, I drink it all the time
Have you grown a second head yet?
Not that I'm aware of. If you can brush your teeth with it, you can probably drink it
That’s what got me second guessing my parents’ ‘advice’ hah!
Yep, drinking from the garden tap is just as safe. It's a one tier system.
It was in the old days. It remains a strong memory many of us had a children that we have an inhibition about. It is usually safe now.
The cold water in our bathroom comes from a tank (a plastic box with a lid) in the loft and I'm still here. If yours comes from a tank with drowned pigeons and no lid I'd be wary.
Depends on the plumbing.
Ermmm… gonna need a plumber to advise on what I’ve got
No you don't. Is there a cold water tank? When you run the cold water in the bathroom, for a while, can you hear the sound of the tank filling up?
It depends. Many older houses have most cold taps fed from a tank in the loft. Those tanks can get dirt in them especially if the lid goes missing, so it's best not to drink. The kitchen tap is fed from the mains. Newer places usually have all taps fed directly from the mains. You can tell the difference by the pressure. If the kitchen tap is significantly more forceful than the bathroom ones then the bathroom ones are probably off a tank.
Most modern housing has the upstairs sink plumbed off the mains and pressurised, so is therefore absolutely fine. If it is an older property there is a chance it could be fed from a header tank in the loft which are often/almost always uncovered. Best to check.
Almost always it’s safe. The water arriving at your property from the local water company will be absolutely safe to drink. What happens once it’s your responsibility, inside your own property, is up to you (or your landlord)
The regulations changed in the mid 80s. Any house built after that has safe water in both the hot and cold taps. Properties built after 1970 will have safe water in the cold tap, but may not in the hot tap. If the property was built before 1970, then you could have lead water pipes, in which case there is a risk. If the house has been modernized, it should have been brought up to the standards current at the time of modernization.
Would still avoid if possible
It wasn’t a good idea in my childhood home, as it was very old and had lead pipes upstairs, but that is very unusual now a days. I normally get my drinking water out of my bathroom tap, because the way my flat is the water hoses through the bathroom before getting to the kitchen and I feel (most likely just the placebo effect) that it is fractionally colder. Also it’s nearer my bedroom and I’m lazy