The woman argued that water is a universal human right, but the court ruled that no law compels hoteliers to serve it directly from the tap.
The simple request of a tourist to receive a glass of tap water at a hotel restaurant in the Dolomites Mountains, in Italy, led, after a long and expensive legal saga, to the pronouncement of a decision by the Supreme Court of the Peninsula, a decision according to which the serving of tap water does not constitute a right of the consumer, writes The Guardian on Tuesday.
The case dates back to 2019, when the woman spent a week at a five-star hotel in the Corvara ski resort, in Badia, over Christmas and New Year. She had purchased a half-board package with dinner included, excluding drinks.
According to Italian media reports, the woman repeatedly asked to receive tap water at the table, even offering to pay for it. His request was refused, and instead, every evening at dinner, he found a 0.75 liter bottle of mineral water, which cost 7 euros, on the table.
Claimed damages
During her stay, the tourist complained that she was “constantly denied the opportunity to drink tap water and instead was forced to buy bottled water,” Corriere Alto Adige reported, citing court documents.
The woman then filed a lawsuit, arguing that water is “a natural resource and a universal human right” and that “the free supply of a vital minimum quantity is necessary to meet essential needs and must be guaranteed,” Corriere wrote.
The woman considered tap water to be an integral part of the services provided by a restaurant or hotel, “just as you would expect to find a bed with linen, a heated room and soap in the bathroom.”
She requested compensation in the amount of 2,700 euros for the “economic damage and mental suffering” suffered.
The decision of the Supreme Court
The trial and appeal courts rejected her request, and the woman appealed to the Italian Supreme Court of Cassation.
This court confirmed that in Italy there is no law obliging restaurant managers or hoteliers to serve customers tap water and dismissed the case in turn.
Asking for free tap water in a restaurant in Italy is generally considered a breach of social etiquette, especially if the waiter has already offered a choice between a bottle of still or mineral water. But customers are becoming more daring, with many trying to avoid using plastic, and more restaurants now offer filtered water.
A glass of water on a restaurant table. PHOTO: © Jj Gouin | Dreamstime.com
