Are you one of the many people who have travelled to delightful Turkey, understandably fallen in love with the country, and are now planning on investing in a Turkey property? As the romance of living in a foreign country such as Turkey turns into reality there are, of course, hundreds of practical questions to consider for yourself and your family. This could include such everyday issues as whether or not the tap water is safe to drink.
At Oceanwide Properties Turkey we have an office in Fethiye and all our staff – many of them ex-pats – have been residing in the country for many years. Here’s our experience:
Safe Tap Water
As a general rule the tap water found in Turkey’s major cities such as Istanbul is safe to drink. Locals drink tap water although many foreigners moving in and out on short trips, not used to the taste of the water, prefer to drink bottled water.
As for the rest of Turkey, there is a saying by which ex-pats usually judge safe drinking water. And it’s based on where they happen to be standing at the time. For instance, if you find yourself in a mountainous region, chances are that tap water has its origin in fresh mountain water – which is, of course, a clean and safe water source. Tap water in low-lying regions, however, tends to be slightly more risky, as is the water in south-eastern Turkey and should be taken with care.
Regardless of location, it’s also worth bearing in mind that the different seasons can affect the water taste and quality in Turkey. For instance good water can reach its lowest levels towards the end of a hot and dry summer – regardless of whether it’s in the city or the country. For those who have any doubts at all on this score you can always ask at a local information centre in the city or a café owner in one of the smaller villages.
A Matter of Taste
The tap water which tends to flow from the majority of Turkey’s taps has a rather heavy chlorine taste – which apart from being less favourable, actually indicates safe drinking water as it means the it has been adequately treated to make it safe to drink. Because of the chlorine taste, however, many ex-pats and travellers prefer to drink bottled water, while using tap water for cooking, washing etc.
Having said that, you’ll find a lot of restaurants in Turkey serve tap water without hesitation since it’s the most common local source for drinking water; whether that restaurant is in either a low lying rural area or a city.
Bottled Water
The good news is that high quality, inexpensive, bottled water can easily be found throughout Turkey and it’s something we tend to always have chilling in the fridge here in the Oceanwide Properties office. Thinking of investing in a Turkey property? Then do give us a call either in Turkey or our London office where we have a wide selection of Turkey property for rent or sale.
image via Fethiyetimes.com
