Great news! The tap water on Paros is safe to drink – all year round, and everywhere on the island.
4.5 million plastic bottles are used on Paros alone every year (1) and they are commonly found littering our beaches.
This kind of plastic pollution harms wildlife and means Paros is less beautiful and attractive to the visitors we love so much.
Together, we can fix this!
Whether you’re a local or a visitor, we want to help everyone on Paros stop drinking plastic bottled water and start drinking tap water.
Together, we can help our beautiful island break free from plastic pollution and become a pioneer of plastic waste-free island life.
Follow the #DrinkTapWater campaign on our Clean Blue Paros facebook page and our Instagram.
Paros tap water is much better quality than the EU requires for drinking water? That’s because our natural water sources are well cared for and supplemented by two desalination plants (2).
Paros is one of the few islands in the Cyclades to still have natural drinking water? A lack of rainfall and overuse of resources has unfortunately contaminated most other islands’ water sources (3).
Plastic bottled water is around 420x more expensive than tap water in Paros? (4)
Some people are sensitive to the taste of tap water. Here are our top tips on how to make tap water your new favourite drink…
* Because this removes most of the chlorine from the water, you should drink it within 48 hours.
You can fill reusable containers with cheap filtered water at the island’s water machines, or install a home water filter. You can learn more about the different types of water filters here.
Paros has seven water machines (see our map), which dispense filtered water for a tenth of the price of bottled water.
These machines are designed to fill large containers with filtered water, so they’re ideal for people living on Paros or those who are staying for a while.
You can fill up smaller bottles too! Bring plenty of change or get a free prepaid card at DEYAP’s office, it’s easier to use.
Thanks to Sustainable Living Paros for the map.
Sources (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
Here are some of the most common questions we’ve been asked about water on Paros.
Someone told me the water on Paros isn’t safe – can you reassure me?
The tap water on Paros has been safe to drink for years. In the past, the island’s water company didn’t monitor the water quality as closely as they do today, so they weren’t as confident about telling everyone it was good to drink. And you know what island life is like – change happens slowly!
Today, DEYAP constantly monitors the water to ensure it’s safe – check out their website to find out more (2).
My tap water looks strange – is that ok?
If your water looks cloudy, that might be from air pressure – just let it sit for a while and it should clear. If your water looks slightly brown, it could be because the pipe hasn’t been used for a while or because of maintenance work on your local network. Either way, run the tap for a while and the water should clear. If you’re worried about your water or your pipes, speak to DEYAP or get a water test.
Is the water on Paros hard or soft?
As the island’s water flows through layers of bedrock (including our world-famous Parian marble!), it collects minerals – making it hard. Hardness comes mostly from calcium and magnesium, minerals which are essential to keeping our bodies healthy. You may notice the tap water on Paros has a mineral taste, and you might see some mineral build-up on surfaces that have a lot of contact with water – which can be a nuisance for appliances. Official guidelines, including from WHO and the EU, do not put limits on water hardness (12,13). For more information, check out our blog post about hard water here.
I want to see exactly what’s in the water – where are the test results?
You can download official tests in Greek on DEYAP’s website. Or you can see the latest test results in English and Greek on EDEYA’s interactive map.
If you have any more questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with DEYAP.
It’s really important we protect our water sources on Paros so the water stays safe to drink - for ourselves and for future generations.
For more tips like this, read our full guide to tap water on Paros..
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