How filthy was the water drunk in Medieval times?

 

You might think that people in the Middle Ages were chugging beer all day long because the water was so nasty.

That's a common myth, but it's also bullshit.

Water was actually pretty clean and available for most medieval folks, as long as they got it from good sources like wells, springs, or rivers.

Sure, they didn't have fancy filters or bottled water, but they weren't stupid either.

They knew how to avoid water that looked or smelled bad, and they had laws to protect their drinking supply from pollution by industries like tanning or dyeing.

Of course, water wasn't always the most exciting drink to have. It was bland and boring, and sometimes it could get contaminated by diseases or parasites.

That's why people also drank other beverages like wine, ale, cider, or mead.

These drinks had more flavor, more calories, and more alcohol, which could kill some of the germs in the water.

Plus, they were more fun to drink and share with friends.

But that doesn't mean that people drank beer instead of water.

Beer was more expensive than water, and it had to be bought or brewed at home.

It also had taxes and transportation fees that made it less affordable for the poor.

And it wasn't very strong either. Most medieval beers had only 1-2% alcohol by volume, which is less than a light beer today.

So you'd have to drink a lot of beer to get drunk or to avoid water altogether.