Bottled water versus tap water

Abstract

Purpose Bottled water consumption continues to break records worldwide and its environmental impact is often underestimated by the consumer. Many factors affect individuals’ choices to consume tap water and bottled water including perceived health risks and water quality. The University of South Florida (USF) has joined a nationwide initiative to become carbon-neutral, and reducing bottled water consumption was a chosen strategy. The purpose of this study was to assess the risk perceptions and drinking water choices of the USF-Tampa campus community. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 561 students, faculty and staff members responded to an online survey. The survey contained questions about the use of bottled water and tap water, reusable water bottles, risk perceptions and demographics. Findings The results revealed that certain groups – undergraduate students and ethnic/racial minorities (e.g. black/African American, Hispanic/Latino) – drank significantly more bottled water. Among political ideologies, Liberals drank the least bottled water. Females and minorities had significantly greater risk perceptions of the tap water on campus. Important perceived benefits were tap water being less expensive and better for the environment than bottled water. Important perceived barriers were poor tasting tap water and the desire for filtered water. Originality/value The findings suggest the need for public health campaigns to increase awareness of health, environmental and financial consequences of bottled water consumption. Such campaigns should aim to discourage bottled water and any potential increased sugar-sweetened beverage consumption while promoting tap water consumption.

Tap Water, Bottled Water or In-Home Water Treatment Systems: Insights on Household Perceptions and Choices

“…Beyond these general drivers, it is important to shed light on how multiple socio-demographic and political factors, including age, gender, income, education, ethnicity, age, political ideology, the number of children in their household, previous experience, place of residence, and trust in the government affect the perception and preference of consumers towards bottled water [15]. For instance, on average ethnic minorities in developed countries tend to consume more bottled water than the general population [23,24]. In this regard, a study in the USA found that minority children drank three times more bottled water than non-minority children [25] (see also [16]).…”

The potential of filtered water in the restaurant industry: A case study in Barcelona

“…Among them, taste and health beliefs stand out as the most prominent (Ballantine et al, 2019; Doria, 2006; Levêque and Burns, 2018; March et al, 2020; Qian, 2018; Ward et al, 2009). In addition, sociodemographic characteristics are related to consumers’ water-intake decisions (Graydon et al, 2019; Saylor et al, 2011). Concerning safety, tap water may not be safe in certain countries (Pant et al, 2016); nevertheless, previous authors proved that tap water is safe in many other countries.…”

Water consumption practices in university campuses. The experience of the National Autonomous University of Mexico

“…A similar study was carried out in a university of Florida, some differences were identified between non-consumers and heavy consumers of bottled water, such as taste, convenience and the belief that bottled water is a safer source are drivers of bottled water consumption. In addition, some of the participants recognized some of the benefits of tap water, in particular those related to its price, its environmental impact (less than that of bottled water) and the convenience of having filling stations at campus (Graydon et al 2019). Also, norms, peer behavior, and perceived health benefits were found to be linked to purchase intention (Xu & Lin 2018).…”