scholarly journals Trust in Drinking Water Quality: Understanding the Role of Risk Perception and Transparency

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2608
Author(s):  
Stijn Brouwer ◽  
Roberta Hofman-Caris ◽  
Nicolien van Aalderen
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Segmentation Approach ◽  
Water Companies ◽  
Tap Water Quality ◽  
Treatment Procedures ◽  
Customer Trust

In the context of an increasing societal demand for transparency in parallel with rapidly increasing numbers and concentrations of substances found in drinking water, this paper investigates how different drinking water customers perceive their tap water quality, and possible risks involved. Empirically, the paper draws on results from a representative survey, a series of interviews and focus groups conducted in the Netherlands, applying both a traditional and modern segmentation approach based on four types of perspectives (“aware and committed”, “down to earth and confident”, “egalitarian and solidary”, and “quality and health concerned”). Although in general it was found that people’s trust in tap water is high, certain groups are more concerned about water quality and health effects than others. It was shown that transparency and the availability of more information about water treatment and quality would contribute to increasing customer trust. It was also observed that, at least in the Netherlands, people have a larger trust in drinking water companies than in other institutions. Therefore, instead of referring to standards made by other institutions, it is recommended that water companies themselves provide information on water quality and emphasize their treatment procedures.

Survey of Bottled Drinking Water Sold in Canada. Part 1. Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, Aluminum, and Fluoride

1992 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 949-953 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W Dabeka ◽  
Henry B S Conacher ◽  
John Salminen ◽  
Gerald R Nixon ◽  
Gunther Riedel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Bottled Water ◽  
Mineral Waters ◽  
Mineral Spring ◽  
Bottled Drinking Water ◽  
Drug Regulations ◽  
Tap Water Quality

Abstract Samples of bottled water (n = 172) offered for sale in Canada were analyzed for lead, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum, and fluoride: means and ranges (μg/g) found were, respectively, 0.0026 (<0.0010- 0.074), 0.00018 (<0.0001-0.0004), 0.0030 (<0.001- 0.048), 0.027 (<0.010-0.568), and 0.543 (<0.050- 5.85). Comparison of levels among mineral waters (n = 64), spring waters (n = 77), and miscellaneous waters (n = 31) indicated appreciable differences only in the case of fluoride. For fluoride, the means and medians (μg/g) for mineral, spring, and miscellaneous waters were 1.179 and 0.455, 0.152 and 0.090, and 0.201 and <0.050, respectively. No samples were found in violation of the tolerances in the Canadian Food and Drug Regulations; however, 1 sample (in a lead-soldered can) contained lead and 15 samples contained fluoride at levels above the limits recommended by the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water (tap-water) Quality.

scholarly journals Arsenic Removal from Peruvian Drinking Water by Milk Protein Nanofibril-Carbon Filters: A Field Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sreenath Bolisetty ◽  
Akram Rahimi ◽  
Raffaele Mezzenga
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Milk Protein ◽  
Arsenic Removal ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Local Population ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Tap Water Quality ◽  
Health Organization

Tap water quality in Peru fails to meet the world health organization (WHO) drinking water standards; consequently, the local population in Peru has been exposed over the last years to...

scholarly journals Assessing tap water awareness: The development of an empirically-based framework

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0259233
Author(s):  
Stijn Brouwer ◽  
Nicolien van Aalderen ◽  
Steven Hendrik Andreas Koop
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Assessment Framework ◽  
Cognitive Awareness ◽  
Segmentation Approach ◽  
Tap Water Quality

Despite the often emphasized importance of water awareness, and notwithstanding the fact that calls for increasing public awareness are becoming commonplace, most studies do not define the concept, let alone operationalise it into measurable units. This is, however, essential to measure and evaluate efforts related to water awareness such as public campaigns, customer communication and behavioural interventions. To address this gap, we conceptualise, operationalise and assess tap water awareness, hereby differentiating between cognitive awareness (head), affectional awareness (heart), and behavioural awareness (hands). In parallel, we also differentiate between tap water quality, quantity and system. By building on a variety of contemporary conceptual insights in literature and a series of expert interviews, an assessment framework is developed. A cohesive set of nine awareness components are identified and operationalised into a set of tangible questions which are put to the test in a large-scale online survey (n = 1003) in the Netherlands, applying both a traditional and modern segmentation approach based on four types of perspectives (‘quality & health concerned’, ‘aware & committed’, ‘egalitarian & solidary’, and ‘down to earth & confident’). Based on the analysis of the results of the first empirical application of our tap water awareness assessment framework, we conclude that—with a score 53.5 points out of 100—tap water awareness in the Netherlands shows ample room for improvement. Interestingly, most significant variations in awareness are generally not related to sociodemographic factors but rather apply to the four customer perspectives on drinking water that are based on people’s subjective views and preferences.

scholarly journals Risk Perception and Bottled Drinking Water Consumption in Istanbul City

2017 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 521-532
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Drinking Water Treatment ◽  
Income Group ◽  
Bottled Water ◽  
Network Water ◽  
Tap Water Quality

Parallel to the increase in public concern about the safety of drinking water globally, the demand for bottled water has increased in almost every country. Although tap water is significantly cheaper than bottled water, consumers concerned about the safety of tap water. They still prefer the bottled water despite several checks implemented in tap water networks. The present paper aims to discuss network water quality in the city of Istanbul, Turkey and to present the findings on a related survey conducted by the authors. The survey was conducted with the participation of 980 individuals living in different districts in Istanbul and the findings were assessed to determine the public perception about tap water quality and bottled water consumption especially after the experienced years of drought and water quality concerns. Findings demonstrated that several individuals never drink tap water and certain individuals do not utilize tap water at all. It was found that only 4% in the surveyed group drink tap water without hesitation. Based on survey findings, the abovementioned group was mainly among the lowest income group in the sample. When purchasing bottled water, several individuals preferred the well-known brands. It was found that the most significant reasons for preferring bottled water were the nice taste of the bottled spring water, which was perceived not to exist in tap water. It was concluded that drinking water treatment facilities and regulations are required to cater the future quality demands. Furthermore, it was determined that adequate inspections and controls on network water are necessary.

Drinking Water Quality: Temporary Deviations from Hygienic Standards

2021 ◽  
pp. 33-39
Author(s):  
YuA Novikova ◽  
VN Fedorov ◽  
OS Alenteva ◽  
IO Myasnikov
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
System Analysis ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Drinking Water Quality ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
Water Supply Systems ◽  
Tap Water Quality

Introduction: Current legislation permits a phased achievement of drinking water quality standards by making decisions on temporary deviations from hygienic standards for the period of design, construction, and/or upgrade of water supply facilities. Objective: To substantiate the mechanism for coordinating temporary deviations of concentrations of certain chemicals in drinking water from hygienic standards for the period of implementing measures for water quality improvement. Materials and methods: We applied methods of sanitary and epidemiological expert examination and assessment and the method of system analysis to review and study current regulations, results of laboratory testing of water quality in centralized cold water supply systems for 2011–2019, and action plans of 83 constituent entities of the Russian Federation for improvement of tap water quality. Results: We established that violation of hygienic standards was most often registered for aluminum, boron, bromine, iron, silicon, lithium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, and chloroform. Hygienic requirements for tap water quality determine necessary technological solutions to be implemented at water treatment facilities; yet, their implementation requires a certain amount of time and might cause temporary tap water quality deterioration making it necessary to agree with the local bodies in charge of federal sanitary and epidemiological surveillance a phased transition to eliminating threat to public health from poor quality drinking water. Conclusions: The authors propose an algorithm for conducting a risk assessment and a mechanism for decision making on temporary deviations.

scholarly journals Drinking of tap water is smart, but how do it better? – A tap water quality research

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 01007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Mika ◽  
Klaudia Sekuła ◽  
Marta Dendys ◽  
Weronika Ptaszek ◽  
Adam Postawa
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Chemical Elements ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
End User ◽  
Quality Research ◽  
The Third ◽  
Tap Water Quality ◽  
Disposable Plastic

Drinking tap water has recently become popular. It is a way to fight with the tons of garbage (disposable, plastic bottles). However, many people are afraid of water quality. The research was performed in December 2015 in Krakow, during one week. 56 samples were collected. The samples were taken in different times of the day and in the two types of building (old one with installation from the 80s and new one with installation built in past few years). Samples were taken by two qualified operators. The first sample was collected at the morning at 6 a.m., before anyone uses the tap. The second one after the tap was flushed and then the third one after 30 minutes stagnation. At the evening was taken one sample (after using the tap all day).The aim of the research was to check the quality of drinking water in the end-user. The results show that quality of tap water in Krakow is good, also in the end-user, but the concentration of chemical elements are changing during the flushing and using of the tap.

scholarly journals Determining the geochemical hazard of drinking water: Case studies from the Novogorsk and the Aprelevka districts, Moscow Region, Russia

2019 ◽  
Vol 98 ◽  
pp. 09019
Author(s):  
K.Y. Mikhaylichenko ◽  
A.Y. Dorontsova ◽  
O.A. Maksimova ◽  
I.A. Adarchenko ◽  
A.I. Kurbatova
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Anthropogenic Pollution ◽  
Environmental Safety ◽  
Moscow Region ◽  
Water Supply Systems ◽  
Tap Water Quality ◽  
Supply Systems

This study analyzed the composition of tap water quality in the centralized water supply systems of Novogorsk and Aprelevka districts of the Moscow region, Russia for compliance with hygienic standards as an assessment of health risk. The formulation of this topic results from the urgency of environmental safety within urban areas, which requires the development of theoretical and methodological capabilities for the forecast and management of technological risks associated with anthropogenic pollution.

Risks and keeping customers' confidence: the key role of consumers' perception regarding the safety of tap water

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline van de Veerdonk ◽  
Jan Van Essen ◽  
Jos Dekker
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Management ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Acceptable Level ◽  
Safe Drinking Water ◽  
Vital Importance ◽  
People’S Perception ◽  
Water Companies

Safe drinking water is a primary necessity to life that is of essential importance to public health. The water companies make sure that the water that comes out of the tap is safe to drink. The water companies are well aware of any actual risks in the process from source to tap, and they take many actions to avoid risks or to reduce the risks to an acceptable level. This is also what they communicate to their customers. But whether their customers are convinced that their drinking water is safe is decided not just by their knowledge of any actual risks, but also by their perception of such risks. To keep customer confidence high, it is of vital importance that the drinking water sector is aware of the consumers' perception regarding the safety of tap water: a risk may be negligible based on the facts, but might still become a big problem because of people's perception. Risk management thus should keep the balance between facts and perception.

scholarly journals How Perceptions of Trust, Risk, Tap Water Quality, and Salience Characterize Drinking Water Choices

Hydrology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Madeline A. Grupper ◽  
Madeline E. Schreiber ◽  
Michael G. Sorice
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Water Utilities ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
The Public ◽  
Water Behavior

Provision of safe drinking water by water utilities is challenged by disturbances to water quality that have become increasingly frequent due to global changes and anthropogenic impacts. Many water utilities are turning to adaptable and flexible strategies to allow for resilient management of drinking water supplies. The success of resilience-based management depends on, and is enabled by, positive relationships with the public. To understand how relationships between managers and communities spill over to in-home drinking water behavior, we examined the role of trust, risk perceptions, salience of drinking water, and water quality evaluations in the choice of in-home drinking water sources for a population in Roanoke Virginia. Using survey data, our study characterized patterns of in-home drinking water behavior and explored related perceptions to determine if residents’ perceptions of their water and the municipal water utility could be intuited from this behavior. We characterized drinking water behavior using a hierarchical cluster analysis and highlighted the importance of studying a range of drinking water patterns. Through analyses of variance, we found that people who drink more tap water have higher trust in their water managers, evaluate water quality more favorably, have lower risk perceptions, and pay less attention to changes in their tap water. Utility managers may gauge information about aspects of their relationships with communities by examining drinking water behavior, which can be used to inform their future interactions with the public, with the goal of increasing resilience and adaptability to external water supply threats.

scholarly journals Tap Water Quality: Seasonal User Surveys in Poland

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3841
Author(s):  
Józef Ober ◽  
Janusz Karwot
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
World Literature ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Quality Parameters ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Quality Of Water ◽  
Profit Analysis ◽  
Tap Water Quality

Security of supply of water, which meets the quality parameters specified in applicable standards, is now the basis for the functioning of most societies. In addition to climatic, biological, chemical, and physical hazards, it is worth paying attention to consumers’ subjective perception of the quality of tap water supplied in the area of Poland. The article discusses various activities related to water resources management and analyses the results of an evaluation of selected quality parameters of tap water in Poland. A novelty on a European scale here is an examination of the evaluation of these parameters based on potential seasonal differences (spring, summer, autumn, winter). For the first time in the world literature, PROFIT analysis was used to evaluate selected parameters of tap water quality. The aim of the article was to present a model for the evaluation of the parameters of tap water supplied in different seasons of the year in Poland. Due to the complexity of the research aspects, a mixed-methods research procedure was used in which a literature review was combined with a survey and statistical analysis. For the purpose of the survey, an original survey questionnaire called “Survey of customer opinions on selected parameters of tap water supplied in Poland” was developed especially for this study. The conducted research confirmed the adopted hypothesis that the results of evaluation of selected tap water parameters vary depending on the period (spring, summer, autumn, winter) in Poland. The model developed by means of PROFIT analysis makes it possible to highlight to water suppliers the specific quality parameters in particular seasons of the year (spring, summer, autumn, winter), which may improve the quality of water supplied in Poland and thus, in the long-term perspective, increase the level of satisfaction of water recipients and confidence in drinking tap water in Poland.

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