Consumer Group Finds Lead In Italy's Public Fountains

Taking a sip from a public drinking fountain might be more cheaper and more environmentally friendly than buying a bottle of water at the store while on vacation, but one consumer watchdog group in Italy says that the water from water fountains in some major cities might not be safe for human consumption.

According to The Local, Italian consumer watchdog group Altroconsumo said this week that it had tested drinking fountains around Italy for safety, and that fountains in Genoa and Florence contained more lead than is safe for people to drink. The report said that lead levels in Genoa were three times over the legal limit for drinking water, and the lead levels in Florence were five times higher than allowed by law.

Altroconsumer said the sample in Genoa was taken from a fountain in the Piazza Colombo, and in Florence they tested a public drinking fountain in the Piazza della Signora, both of which are busy tourist areas.

"The contaminated water is available to thousands of tourists who pass through Piazza della Signora each day," the consumer group warned.