Drinking water

The water that flows through all water pipes in Switzerland is so fresh and pure that it meets the purity requirements for mineral water but is a thousand times cheaper. Even the water from public fountains can be drunk without hesitation. Only 2% of annual precipitation is utilized for the drinking water supply. The Swiss population uses about 400 litres of water per capita per day in households, industry and commercial operations. Household consumption accounts for 160 litres of that amount on average. Drinking water from water pipes costs on average about CHF 1.60 per thousand litres in Switzerland. At a daily cost of CHF 0.26 per person, the cost is just under CHF 0.80 per day for a 3-person household. Ground water from wells and springs accounts for 80% of consumption, and the rest comes primarily from lakes.