Can You Drink Tap Water in Malta?

Is tap water safe and why does it taste different?

Yes: water supplied through Malta’s public network is potable and monitored. Water Services Corporation says it conforms to the EU Drinking Water Directive as transposed in Malta and is tested through an accredited laboratory. Taste, hardness and a building’s internal plumbing are separate questions from public-supply safety.

Malta’s supply blends desalinated seawater with groundwater. The Water Services Corporation says more than 70% of supply now comes from reverse osmosis after recent upgrades. Small controlled amounts of chlorine disinfect the network; hard-water minerals can create limescale. Chlorine taste and limescale do not by themselves mean the public water is unsafe.

Chilling water in a clean covered jug can reduce perceived chlorine taste. A properly maintained activated-carbon filter may help taste, but its cartridge schedule matters.

Malta, Gozo, hotels and individual buildings

The public standard applies across the supplied network; do not make a blanket claim that one island is “unsafe.” The point-of-use experience can change inside a building. Roof tanks, stagnant internal pipes, poorly maintained filters and the tap chosen by a hotel or apartment are the owner’s responsibility after the mains connection.

Ask accommodation staff whether the kitchen cold tap is mains-fed, when any tank was cleaned and what to do after long vacancy. Run a stagnant cold tap briefly until temperature stabilises. If water is discoloured, smells unusual or an official advisory is active, do not drink it—contact the property and Water Services Corporation.

Alternatives to single-use bottles

Use a refillable bottle with chilled tap water when the building supply is sound. A taste filter does not remove every possible contaminant and can worsen water if neglected; follow the manufacturer’s replacement schedule. Boiling kills many microbes but does not remove salts, hardness or chlorine taste and can concentrate minerals.

Check current public advisories before relying on a refill point. Malta also operates a grant scheme for activated-carbon filters, but eligibility is aimed at qualifying purchases and residents rather than a tourist’s immediate need.

For the shopping implications, see supermarkets and food prices.

Before relying on this guide

Menus, prices, opening hours, delivery coverage and venue arrangements change. Recheck the linked first-party source when a booking, allergy, price, journey or eligibility condition affects the decision.

Last reviewed: 29 August 2026.