New law obliges restaurants in Romania to provide customers with free tap water

Restaurants, canteens, and catering services in Romania will have to provide customers with free tap water from the national water distribution network if requested.

The obligation comes after Government Ordinance No. 7/2023 regarding the quality of water intended for human consumption was adopted on March 19, 2024, by the Chamber of Deputies.

The law was initiated by the government, but an amendment regarding the free provision of drinking water for consumers in restaurants and other venues was added by the Committee for Health and Family, according to Digi24.

According to the law, water intended for human consumption/drinking water is defined as any type of water, whether in its initial/natural state or after treatment, intended for drinking, cooking, food preparation, or any other domestic purpose, both in public and private spaces.

The water is considered to be drinking water regardless of its origin and whether it is supplied from a distribution network or a tank, or is bottled in containers, including spring waters, as well as any type of water used in any food-related unit for the production, processing, preservation, or marketing of products or substances intended for human consumption.

To come into force, president Klaus Iohannis also has to sign the legislative project into law.

Only 12% of Romanians believe that tap water is very safe for consumption by the whole family, according to a study carried out by Xylem, a water technology company, cited by Green-Forum.eu. According to environment NGOs cited by Digi24, over 110 million plastic bottle containers in Romania, in 2019, came only from bottled water.

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