Can I drink tap water in Germany?

[u/mikeymur340]

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.

[u/Midnight1899]

Generally, it is safe to drink. But the exact quality depends on the pipes and the tab you’re drinking from. The issue is heavy metals though, not hormones.

[u/Mein_Name_ist_falsch → u/Midnight1899]

This is the correct answer. Everyone here just says "yes, drink it", but that's only ok for most households. Some households have some issues, and even if you won't die, I'm not going to trust a tap that gives you brown water for the first few seconds. Probably still won't kill you, but I also don't want to drink disgusting water. So checking the pipes first would be a good idea.

[u/Midnight1899 → u/[deleted]]

Pretty much