Access to clean and safe drinking water is a fundamental human right. Many countries around the world prioritize using different resources to ensure their citizens’ health and well-being. Some countries are fortunate to have abundant natural sources of clean water, while others have made substantial investments in advanced technology to purify and treat water.
The 30 countries with the cleanest drinking water
Most nations implement strict guidelines and regulations to maintain water quality, safeguarding public health. The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) annually measures drinking water quality, with a score of 100 indicating the highest standard and a score of 0 reflecting the lowest.
This post explores 30 countries that rank high on EPI and have the cleanest and safest drinking water in the world. Curious? Scroll to reveal them
Brunei
Brunei ranks high in water quality standards with an EPI score of 87. The country has advanced water treatment plants and monitoring systems.
Slovakia
Slovakia has some of the cleanest tap water in the world. It has an EPI score of 87.6 and follows the rigorous standards of EU guidelines regarding water quality.
France
France has a high EPI score of 87.6. Water treatment plants use filtration, chlorination, UV disinfection, and ozone treatment processes to remove contaminants and ensure the safety of drinking water.
Slovenia
Slovenia’s drinking water is one of the cleanest in the world and has an EPI score of 88.2. Interestingly, Slovenia is the first EU country to include the right to water in its constitution.
Cyprus
Cyprus is known for its clean drinking water and has an EPI score of 88.8. The nation practices policies listed under the EU Drinking Water Directive, which sets stringent quality standards for drinking water.
South Korea
South Korea has an EPI score of 88.9 when it comes to safe and clean drinking water. The country uses state-of-the-art filtration systems to remove impurities, heavy metals, biological contaminants, and chemical pollutants.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is known for its high-quality drinking water. Its EPI score is 91.3 as it uses exceptionally clean source water and has efficient water purification and treatment processes.
Denmark
Denmark has some of the cleanest and most sustainable drinking water in the world. It has an EPI score of 93.4, which underscores its water resource protection policies and the maintenance of high water quality standards.
Israel
Israel is recognized for its clean and safe drinking water and has an EPI score of 93.8. Israel uses the process of desalination, which removes contaminants and impurities, to fulfill 80% of its water needs.
Belgium
Belgium achieves a high EPI score of 93.9 in terms of the quality of drinking water. The country adheres to the EU Drinking Water Directive, which sets strict limits on contaminants, chemical pollutants, and other parameters such as taste, color, and odor.
Montenegro
Montenegro has an EPI score of 95.2 and has high-quality drinking water. Much of the country’s water comes from glaciers, springs, and other sources of mineral-rich, naturally filtered water.
Spain
Spain is considered one of the countries with clean and safe drinking water. Its EPI score of 95.7 highlights the use of advanced filtration and wastewater management, along with regular monitoring and reporting of water quality.
Malta
Malta’s tap water is considered clean and safe for drinking. It has an EPI score of 97.1 and uses advanced desalination, reverse osmosis, and other purification processes.
Sweden
Sweden has high-quality drinking water and achieves an EPI score of 97.4. It has been successful in developing and maintaining strict regulations and policies regarding water quality and wastewater management.
Portugal
Portugal has some of the cleanest and safest drinking water and has an EPI score of 97.6. This is due to its high water quality standards, clean, abundant sources, advanced treatment infrastructure, and consistent monitoring.
Singapore
Singapore has an EPI score of 98.7 and is known for its exceptionally clean drinking water. It uses advanced technology and processes such as reverse osmosis, microfiltration, and UV sterilization for water purification.
Austria
Austria consistently ranks at the top when it comes to drinking water quality. It has an EPI score of 99.2 due to abundant fresh and clean water sources, along with the necessary purification and treatment processes.
Australia
Australia has an EPI score of 99.2 and has high-quality, clean drinking water. The Australian Drinking Water Guideline, created by the National Health and Medical Research Council, enforces rigorous measures for maintaining water quality.
Iceland
Iceland has some of the cleanest and purest drinking water in the world, with an EPI score of 99.4. The country has access to huge reserves of underground springs and glaciers that are naturally filtered by volcanic rock.
Canada
Canada is one of the countries with the cleanest and safest drinking water in the world. Its high EPI score of 99.7 is due to stringent regulation, protection of water sources, and investment in wastewater treatment facilities.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg has high-quality drinking water, reflected in its EPI score of 99.8. Its groundwater and surface water are treated and regularly tested for microbial contamination, heavy metals, and agricultural pollutants.
Norway
Norway ranks high in the quality of drinking water with an EPI score of 99.9. This is because the water from numerous ponds, streams, lakes, and glaciers is purified and tested for contaminants at advanced water treatment facilities.
United States
The US has some of the highest quality drinking water in the world, with an EPI score of 100. Its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets high standards for water purification and treatment.
United Kingdom
The UK has an EPI score of 100, having one of the highest qualities of drinking water in the world. It has a strong regulatory framework that enforces strict quality measures.
Switzerland
Switzerland also has a perfect EPI score of 100 due to its high-quality drinking water. About 80% of the country’s water needs are met by groundwater, which is naturally clean. They are further purified and treated to remove any contaminants.
Italy
Italy achieves an EPI score of 100 as its drinking water is considered to be exceptionally clean. The country has a huge network of lakes, underground aquifers, and rivers, along with the infrastructure to purify water used from these sources.
Ireland
Ireland has one of the best drinking water qualities in the world and has an EPI score of 100. This is due to abundant natural water resources, strict regulation, and modern treatment systems.
Greece
Greece has an EPI score of 100 when it comes to drinking water. It follows the European Union’s Drinking Water Directive, which has set standards for preventing and removing pollutants, bacteria, and other contaminants.
Germany
With an EPI score of 100, Germany has some of the cleanest tap water in the world. The country enforces strict quality laws, regularly testing the water for 50 parameters, including chemical particles, bacteria, and heavy metals.
Finland
Finland also earns a top EPI score of 100. It has abundant surface water from more than 180,000 lakes and maintains some of the strictest quality standards in the world.
