Key:drinking_water

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Public-images-osm logo.svg drinking_water
Brass water tap.jpg
Description
Indication whether a feature provides drinking water. Show/edit corresponding data item.
Group: water management
Used on these elements
may be used on nodesshould not be used on waysmay be used on areas (and multipolygon relations)should not be used on relations (except multipolygon relations)
Documented values: 1
Useful combination
Status: approvedPage for proposal

drinking_water=* indicates whether a feature provides drinking water, specifically whether water is drinkable for humans.

There are objects in the database which can provide drinking water. To indicate this feature you can use this tag. For example a public toilet may provide drinking water, but this is not the primary purpose, thus amenity=toilets + drinking_water=yes is more appropriate than amenity=drinking_water. The same applies to wells or mountain huts. As such this is one of the few OSM tags that can indicate the lack of a feature you might otherwise expect (for example the rare highway rest area that does not supply drinking water, or the rare mountain hut where you must carry water to).

It is also possible to mark each water source as a separate, dedicated feature with amenity=drinking_water.

In other cases you can subtag an existing object with the info that the water is drinkable; e.g., amenity=fountain + fountain=drinking.

How to map

drinking_water=* is used as additional tag for other elements.

Value Comment Frequency of use
yes

There exists drinking water.

The water is drinkable for humans. There must be objective reasons that allow you to conclude that the water is pure. E.g. in alpine territory the source is above any inhabited areas. One can assume that the water is pure when many people drink it every day.

There is no warranty for this tag. The circumstances can change every day. Everyone should use caution before drinking water from unknown sources.

If the water is checked and approved by public authorities, you can tag additional drinking_water:legal=yes.

If there is a label "No drinking water" because there is no official control, you can add the tag drinking_water:legal=no.

no

There is no drinking water.

The water is not drinkable. It is obvious that the water is soiled or contaminated or flows through a circulating pump.

In some countries a label "No drinking water" is not sufficient to tag no. It is possible that every source without official control gets this label, although the water is drinkable. You can add the tag drinking_water:legal=no.

conditional

The water seems drinkable. You can drink it at your own risk.

If there is a label "No drinking water" because there is no official control, you can add the tag drinking_water:legal=no.

Additional values

These additional values have been used, but were not approved as part of the original proposal and are not as common:

Value Comment Frequency of use
treated Water that has been disinfected in a water treatment facility, for example, with chlorine, ozone, etc. ... to kill potential pathogens germs.
untreated Water has not been treated; e.g. from a well in a village.
boil Water is suitable for drinking after boiling.

yes

Additional tags

Proposed tag:

Applies to (among other things)

and others

The key drinking_water=* doesn't apply to amenity=drinking_water because this feature already implies drinking water.

Potential tagging issues

If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!
If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!

See also