Is Tap Water Safe to Drink in Latvia?

Approximately 70% of Latvia’s drinking water comes from groundwater. Riga is served by SIA Rīgas ūdens, the country’s largest water provider, supplying over 600,000 residents. Riga draws from both the Daugava River (treated at the Daugava station, capacity 210,000 m³/day) and the Baltezers-Zakumuiza underground aquifer. Treatment includes coagulation, filtration, ozonation, UV disinfection, and chlorination.

No significant health concerns in the municipal supply. Old pipes in Soviet-era apartment blocks may contain lead or corroded iron, potentially releasing trace heavy metals. No fluoride is added to the public supply. Latvia is working toward full compliance with the revised EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184) by 2027, covering PFAS and microplastics.

Safe in Riga, Jūrmala, Daugavpils, Liepāja, and Sigulda, all with modern EU-funded infrastructure. Rural private wells are unmonitored and may have elevated iron or manganese — bottled water is recommended in those cases.

Soft to moderately hard in Riga, roughly 80–200 mg/L depending on groundwater vs. surface source blending..

Many Latvians, especially older generations, still boil or filter tap water out of Soviet-era habit, but younger urban residents increasingly drink it directly. Offices commonly use bottled water coolers.

• •Ask for “krāna ūdeni” (tap water) at restaurants in Riga
• •Run cold tap for 20–30 seconds before drinking in older Soviet-era buildings to flush pipe residues
• •In rural guesthouses, confirm whether water comes from the municipal supply or a private well

• •Run taps briefly in Soviet-era apartment buildings before drinking
• •Use bottled water if staying in a rural property with a private well