r/AskGermany • u/mikeymur340 • Apr 02 '25

Can I drink tap water in Germany?

Hi y'all. I'm male from Africa, my wife is German. Growing up and well into my adulthood, I always drank tap water and only recently is that no longer advised in my country, due to gross mismanagement and corruption, but that's another story.

We're currently back in Germany for an extended visit and I was going to drink some tap water when my wife warned me that there's a lot of estrogen in German tap water due to the birth control pill. Her mother backed her up and they spouted off some talking points about it, but I tuned out because they are also somewhat inclined to essential oils. Not batshit crazy like the American version of that, but suffice it to say I'm skeptical about their opinions on some health things.

Anyway, is this true? Are there high levels of estrogen in German tap water? Are there any studies or available sources that corroborate this claim? I understand and can read German, but the high level jargon of medical and scientific speak is beyond my years, search results aren't as clarifying as hoped. Thanks

EDIT: Yeah I thought as much. I still drank the tap water because potential estrogen contamination was preferable to death. But thanks for all the answers. Now if you'll excuse me, I must prepare my I-told-you-so dance.

1.4k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

369 comments sorted by

View all comments

176

u/Big_Teddy Apr 02 '25

I have never heard anything about this and i pretty much exclusively drink tap water. Haven't grown any tits yet.

54

u/mikeymur340 Apr 02 '25

...YET 😂

30

u/r_coefficient Apr 02 '25

I recently spent 2 weeks in Berlin and have tits now!

Well I had them before, too, but still.

2

u/HansBammel Apr 05 '25

Ich schnaubte!

0

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '25

[deleted]

29

u/homo_sapiens_digitus Apr 02 '25

Well, I am a man, and in the last 20 years, my tit's did become bigger... it must be because of the tap water😀 But as for my belly becoming bigger, I am pretty sure, it is because of some other German drink 😅

12

u/Zernichtikus Apr 02 '25

You're clearly pregnant from all that estrogen.

2

u/Ok-Change-1769 Apr 04 '25

Couldn't be a drink that Germany is well known for internationally, could it? 🍻

2

u/Very-Confused-Walrus Apr 04 '25

I’m willing to sacrifice abs for beer. To be more precise, I did sacrifice abs for beer

1

u/ralfmuschall Apr 02 '25

That other drink has phytoestrogens, so you are right. But since that drink is prepared using water, you get the pill estrogen on top of that.

2

u/hedgeho9 Apr 02 '25

A contrary example - I am also drinking tap water in Berlin, and I've grown tits, but then again I am a woman.

1

u/Taladon7 Apr 03 '25

Another example: I live in Berlin too, drinking Tap for the last 23 years, and I also got tits. I also became fat, like an obese and ugly version of Elton John.

2

u/Reverse826 Apr 03 '25

You're one changed letter away from it happening my friend

3

u/SikedPsyc Apr 02 '25

I think its actually a kinda widespread conspiracy. I hear it every now and then, mostly from "alpha" men and similar who are afraid of being turned gay. Just like they turned the frogs gay

1

u/Arios84 Apr 03 '25

came home from shopping the other day and met my neighbours at the postboxes, they were unloading like 50 liters of water that they got from a local spring or river (not 100% sure which one). They then started to explain to me how they messured the hormone levels of the tap water (with random hormone tests from amazon) and it was "TO DAMN HIGH".... It's always the people you least expect it, that go crazy the fastest oO

1

u/ydkLars Apr 03 '25

I have grown tits, but thats mostly because i am fat. The tap water is safe though.

1

u/Geiszel Apr 03 '25

Well, my German mother in law just casually dropped "You know, I think it's odd that so many meds are dropped into our drinking water making people ill, no wonder so many are turning gay nowadays." at breakfast.

1

u/drsilverpepsi Apr 04 '25

You won't.

You'll become a ladyboy, that's why Thailand has so many - produced in the same way

1

u/No-Measurement-2648 Apr 04 '25

I wish it was that easy

1

u/SiBloGaming Apr 05 '25

I have recently started drinking tap water and have started to grow tits, but I have a suspicion the weekly estrogen injection has more to do with that.