tap water

American  

noun

1. water, obtained directly from a faucet or tap, that has not been purified, distilled, or otherwise treated.

---

tap water British  

noun

1. water drawn off through taps from pipes in a house, as distinguished from distilled water, mineral water, etc

---

Etymology

Origin of tap water

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tap water

Like most inhabitants of the village of Szada, 25 kilometres northwest of Budapest, their home has been without tap water for almost two days.

From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026

Some areas get less than an hour of tap water a day.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

Silvio Belardi, the lawyer representing the hotel, is quoted in the newspaper Corriere Alto Adige as saying the court held that "there is no obligation to supply tap water".

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

The installation of lead service lines was banned nationwide in 1986, but millions of homes still receive tap water through them.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026

I went into the kitchen and got her a glass of tap water.

From "Dead End in Norvelt" by Jack Gantos