Water filters and reverse osmosis in Valencia: get a quote
Valencia tap water is safe to drink, but it is very hard, and your kettle will show it within weeks. Tell us about your flat and we will put you in touch with our water treatment partner for a quote. More background in our Valencia tap water guide.
Why Valencia tap water is so hard
Valencia's water comes from the Turia and the Júcar, which both drain limestone country, so it is already rich in calcium and magnesium before it reaches the treatment plant. It is legally potable and tested continuously; the issue is taste and limescale, not safety.
Spain's consumer association OCU places Valencia among the country's hardest supplies, above 40 French degrees, where it counts water under 12 degrees as soft. Measured figures vary by zone and season, so the number at your own tap is what matters.
In practice that means a furred kettle, spotted glasses, crusted taps and shower screens, and tea or coffee that tastes flatter than at home.
Photo: Henna, CC BY-SA 1.0
Why Valencia's water situation is more complicated than it looks
Newcomers usually hear two opposite answers about Valencia's tap water, and both are partly right. The water is legally potable and tested continuously, yet the OCU classes the city's supply as very hard, above 40 French degrees, so it tastes of minerals and leaves limescale everywhere.
That is why so many households buy bottled water or fill a jug filter, even though nothing is wrong with the water's safety. Measured hardness also varies by zone and season, so a neighbour's experience in another barrio may not match yours.
The flat itself adds another layer. Older buildings have older pipework, and in a rented flat anything connected to the plumbing needs the landlord's agreement, which is why many tenants stay with bottles and jugs for years.
Three ways to treat hard water at home
Reverse osmosis under the sink
A membrane system fitted under the kitchen sink with its own small tap. It removes most of the hardness, chlorine taste and dissolved salts from the water you drink and cook with. It needs plumbing work and periodic filter changes.
A water softener for the whole flat
A softener treats all the water entering the home, which protects the boiler, washing machine, dishwasher and shower screens from limescale. It is a bigger installation and usually makes sense for owners rather than tenants.
Jug and countertop filters
No installation and no permission needed. A jug filter improves chlorine taste but barely touches hardness, so treat it as a stopgap rather than a fix.
Which water treatment suits renters and which suits owners
If you rent your flat in Valencia
Any unit that connects to the plumbing needs your landlord's agreement, so ask in writing before you book an installation. Compact under-sink and countertop units are the usual choice for tenants because they can be removed when you move out. Mention in the form that you rent and the quote will take that into account.
If you own your home in Valencia
Owners can go further: reverse osmosis for drinking water, a softener for the whole home, or both. A water analysis at your tap shows which combination your building actually needs.
Living in Valencia for years and still using a filter jug?
Plenty of long-term residents started with a filter jug or bottled water as a temporary fix and are still doing it years later. A jug improves the chlorine taste but does little against hardness, so the kettle still scales and the bottles still pile up.
Once you know you are staying, a reverse osmosis unit under the sink is the permanent version of that fix, treating the drinking water at the tap. If you own your home or have a settled lease, it is worth asking for a quote.
Our partner
AQUANYUM, water treatment in Valencia
We work with AQUANYUM, a Valencia company that installs reverse osmosis systems, water softeners and water dispensers for homes and offices. When you send the form below, ValenciaMove receives your request and passes it to AQUANYUM, who contact you with a quote. Pricing and installation details come from them, based on your own flat.
See the AQUANYUM website