Why is water more acidic than alkanols?
\begin{array} {|l|r|r|}
\hline
  &amp;\mathrm{pK_a~in~water} &amp;\mathrm{pK_a~in~DMSO}\\
\hline
\ce{H2O} &amp;15.74 &amp;31.4\\
\hline
 \ce{CH3CH2OH} &amp;16 &amp;29.8 \\
\hline
\end{array}

As we can see from the $pK_a$ data water is slightly more acidic than ethanol in water but in DMSO ethanol is notably more acidic. In DMSO hydrogen bonding is minimal so the acidity is primarily dependent on the acid and not the solvent it is in. 

However, in water the hydroxide ion is hugely stabilised by hydrogen bonding (the ethoxide is as well but not nearly to the same extent) so this accounts for the greater acidity of water in this situation.

http://research.chem.psu.edu/brpgroup/pKa_compilation.pdf
http://www.chem.wisc.edu/areas/reich/pkatable/index.htm