# Entitled to tap water in McDonalds?



## Sunnysoutheast (18 Apr 2019)

I bought 12 chicken nuggets in McDonalds yesterday and asked for some tap water with my order. I was told that they don't serve tap water (I had asked in two other McDonalds outlets on previous occasions and there was no problem with them giving it). If you are a paying customer are you entitled to receive tap water if you request it?


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## Protocol (18 Apr 2019)

I have never heard of any such entitlement.


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## Gordon Gekko (18 Apr 2019)

Sunnysoutheast said:


> I bought 12 chicken nuggets in McDonalds yesterday and asked for some tap water with my order. I was told that they don't serve tap water (I had asked in two other McDonalds outlets on previous occasions and there was no problem with them giving it). If you are a paying customer are you entitled to receive tap water if you request it?



Your username is pretty misleading...Cavan is neither sunny nor in the southeast.


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## Bronte (18 Apr 2019)

I always thought you were entitled to tap water in Ireland. Also in America and France.


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## odyssey06 (18 Apr 2019)

Hard to be sure, but I expect we have same provision as UK - must be provided if serving alcohol, which McDs do not:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/3867...free-tap-water-unless-they-do-this-one-thing/

That could be changed by this:
https://www.thejournal.ie/free-tap-water-restaurants-law-3-4138222-Jul2018/


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## Palerider (18 Apr 2019)

It is a unique Irish trait ...many of us feel ‘ entitled’ to a lot of things, sooner we breed that out of us the better for us as a people.

Dramatic I know over a sup of water in a business premises...


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## odyssey06 (18 Apr 2019)

Palerider said:


> It is a unique Irish trait ...many of us feel ‘ entitled’ to a lot of things, sooner we breed that out of us the better for us as a people. Dramatic I know over a sup of water in a business premises...



Say what ... it's a law being considered at EU level:
https://www.thejournal.ie/free-tap-water-restaurants-law-3-4138222-Jul2018/

Seems a perfectly reasonable expectation for a paying customer, although I think the EU proposal for any randomer is an entitlement too far.

Edit - fast food \ takeouts are a bit of a gray area I suppose as there's a cost \ possible environmental impact to providing the bottle \ cup etc. I am guessing if the EU proposal is signed off it may mean the water is provided but bring your own bottle.


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## TLO (18 Apr 2019)

I remember talk of this years ago.  My recollection is that it applied to both domestic and commercial premises in the greater Dublin area.  The bye-law was that if a property received its water from Dublin Corporation, then a member of the public was entitled to knock on the door of the house, or enter the business, and ask for a drink of water.


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## noproblem (18 Apr 2019)

Ask by all means, but a complete and dodgy stranger knocking on my door looking for a drink of water would be refused. Would you like to inform me of the penalty I would face?


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## twofor1 (18 Apr 2019)

If I was refused tap water with my nuggets, I would ask for some ice


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## iamaspinner (18 Apr 2019)

I once asked for a bit of cold water in my americano at a McD. The look on the girl's face was hilarious! She didn't have a clue as they didn't seem to have a tap of drinking water. She asked another girl and between them they came up with a tap somewhere outside the kitchen area. I'm still not sure about the quality of that water, but it didn't make me sick.


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## Sunnysoutheast (18 Apr 2019)

Thanks everyone for your varied replies, it seems there is currently no definitive answer to the question. Interesting to see the EU trying to sort it out!


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## newirishman (19 Apr 2019)

Can anyone post a link to some official EU page where this is being discussed?
All I can find is that the Commission wants to encourage drinking tap water, by encouraging member states to further improve water quality, and to install public drinking fountains and such like.
There is a big focus on ensuring good access to safe water, but I can’t see anything saying that it has to be free - not at home, and definitely not in a restaurant.
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/water-drink/review_en.html

Improved access to safe drinking water is great. Ireland is however the odd one out in the EU when it comes to not having to pay for your water based on consumption.


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## Leo (19 Apr 2019)

The entitlement to free drinking water in restaurants is clearly defined in UK legislation, there is no equivalent here. The Restaurant Licencing Act states that "A range of suitable beverages other than intoxicating liquor (including drinking water) shall also be available for consumption in the restaurant."  Nowhere does it state such drinks must be free.

The right of any citizen in Dublin to demand drinking water from anyone supplied by the local authority sounds like one of those ye olde type regs, there was no such stipulation in the most recent regulations that were in effect prior to the establishment of Irish Water.


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