Bottled Water and Consumer Perceptions in the U.S.
Author Information
Author(s): Hu Zhihua, Morton Lois Wright, Mahler Robert L.
Primary Institution: Iowa State University
Hypothesis
Perceptions of poorer groundwater and surface water quality represent higher risk in drinking water and therefore are hypothesized to be associated with higher likelihood of purchasing bottled water as a primary drinking source compared to those reporting perceptions of higher water quality.
Conclusion
U.S. consumers are more likely to use bottled water as their primary drinking source when they perceive their local drinking water as unsafe.
Supporting Evidence
- 85 million bottles of water are consumed in the U.S. every day.
- 13.4% of respondents reported using bottled water as their primary drinking source.
- Perceptions of drinking water safety are highly associated with bottled water use.
- Respondents who do not trust their home drinking water safety are more than 4.8 times more likely to use bottled water.
- Residents of larger communities are more likely to be primary bottled water users.
Takeaway
People often choose bottled water because they think their tap water is not safe to drink.
Methodology
Data were collected from a national stratified random sample mail survey about water issues conducted across twenty-one U.S. states.
Potential Biases
The sample may be biased towards male respondents, as they were more likely to respond to the survey.
Limitations
The study does not include actual water quality or safety conditions, so it is unclear if consumer perceptions reflect real water quality.
Participant Demographics
The mean age of respondents was 56.8 years, with a demographic distribution similar to the general adult population, but with a higher proportion of males.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
0.529–0.849
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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