Public trust in drinking water safety has dwindled worldwide

A new study has found that over half of adults surveyed worldwide expect to experience serious harm from their drinking water within the next two years. The research, led by global health experts from Northwestern University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, aimed to assess public perceptions of drinking water safety.

These perceptions are significant because they influence attitudes and behaviors, with distrust in water quality negatively impacting people’s health, nutrition, psychological well-being, and economic stability – even when the water meets established safety standards.

Consequences of distrust in water safety 

“If we think our water is unsafe, we will avoid using it,” said Sera Young, a professor of anthropology and global health at Northwestern and senior author of the study.

“When we mistrust our tap water, we buy packaged water, which is wildly expensive and hard on the environment; drink soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages, which is hard on the teeth and the waistline; and consume highly processed prepared foods or go to restaurants to avoid cooking at home, which is less healthy and more expensive. Individuals exposed to unsafe water also experience greater psychological stress and are at greater risk of depression.”

Anticipated harm from drinking water 

The study analyzed nationally representative data from 148,585 adults in 141 countries, sourced from the 2019 Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll. The results showed a high prevalence of anticipated harm from water supplies, with Zambia showing the highest concern, Singapore the lowest, and a global average of 52.3%.

The study also identified key groups more likely to fear harm from their drinking water: women, urban residents, individuals with higher education, and those facing financial difficulties.

Surprisingly, the study found that perceptions of higher corruption were the strongest predictor of anticipated harm from drinking water, surpassing other factors like infrastructure quality and Gross Domestic Product.

Widespread concerns about water safety 

Furthermore, even in countries with reliable access to basic drinking water services, concerns about water safety were widespread. In the United States, for instance, 39% of respondents anticipated serious harm from their drinking water in the near term.

“Our research highlights that it is imperative both to deliver safe drinking water and to make sure that people have confidence in their water source,” said Joshua Miller, a doctoral student at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and the study’s first author.

Challenge of assessing water quality

The researchers emphasized that it’s challenging for consumers to assess the safety of their water supply since many contaminants are invisible, odorless, and tasteless. Without sufficient information, people often rely on past experiences, media reports, and personal beliefs to judge the safety of their drinking water.

“It’s also possible that people correctly judge the safety of their water. The good people of Flint didn’t trust their water and they were spot on,” Young said.

Improving trust in drinking water safety

The experts suggest several actions that officials can take to improve public trust in drinking water. These include making testing more accessible, translating test results, replacing lead pipes, providing at-home water filters when contaminants are detected, and improving overall access to safe drinking water.

“This is the kind of work that can catalyze greater attention and political will to prioritize these services in national development plans and strategies, and get us closer to achieving universal access to safe drinking water,” said Aaron Salzberg, the director of the Water Institute at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Salzberg, who previously served as the special coordinator for water resources at the U.S. Department of State, was responsible for managing U.S. foreign policy on drinking water and sanitation, water resources management, and transboundary water issues.

The global water crisis

“Taken together, these findings suggest that the prevalence of anticipated harm from drinking water is high across diverse populations, geographies, and water service levels,” the authors wrote.

“Anticipated harm from drinking water is an underappreciated aspect of the global water crisis that may have myriad negative implications for health and well-being. There is clear need to consider users’ perspectives to promote water security and ensure the safety, use, and sustainability of water services.”

The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

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