Having lived in Ireland for a while (Dublin, to be precise. I’d assume Northern Ireland is similar in terms of water), I can attest that Irish drinking water definitely isn’t clean. But it’s definitely potable.

I’ve lived in Norway most of my life, and the difference in taste is astounding. While drinking water anywhere is rarely sterile, water that needs to be stored for a while needs to be treated, and that’s why the chlorine is added.

Here in rural Norway, the water isn’t treated, as it’s always fresh from the mountain. So I’ve probably drank my fair share of sheep turds over the years, but the concentration is weak enough that it doesn’t matter.

Related: Worst tap water I’ve ever had is Houston. Tastes like chlorinated swamp.