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Tap Water, Trust, and Perceived Risk: What Drives Intentions to Use Single-Use Bottled Water?
Summary
Whether people choose bottled water over tap water comes down to how safe they think tap water is, how it tastes and smells, and—surprisingly—how much they trust the federal government, even though most people don't actually know which agencies regulate their tap water. This confusion matters because relying on bottled water instead of tap water adds to plastic pollution, and that plastic waste is a growing source of microplastics that end up in our water, food, and bodies. Building clearer public understanding of who ensures tap water safety, and fixing real taste or odor issues, could help people feel confident choosing tap water and cut down on unnecessary plastic waste.
The plastic pollution resulting from single-use bottled water contributes to global environmental, economic, and health issues. Reducing use requires communication strategies tailored to consumer behavior. This study tested a conceptual model examining the influence of trust in the federal government, perceived risk of tap water, organoleptic qualities, and attitudes toward single-use bottled water on intentions to purchase or use it. All variables showed significant effects on intention to use single-use bottled water. Unexpectedly, trust in the federal government had a small but positive effect on both attitudes toward and intention to use single-use bottled water. This result may reflect public misunderstanding or limited awareness of which agencies regulate tap water, as well as the influence of broader media narratives. The findings underscore the need to improve public understanding of tap water governance. To reduce reliance on single-use bottled water, communication efforts and infrastructure improvements must address both perceived safety and organoleptic qualities of tap water.