A recent study reveals that over half of adults across the globe fear they may suffer serious harm from their water in the coming two years. Conducted by health experts from Northwestern University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this research aimed to gauge public beliefs regarding the safety of drinking water.
A recent study reveals that over half of adults across the globe fear they may suffer serious harm from their water in the coming two years. Conducted by health experts from Northwestern University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this research aimed to gauge public beliefs regarding the safety of drinking water.
Since people’s perceptions influence their attitudes and actions, distrust towards water quality can negatively affect health, nutrition, mental well-being, and economic stability—even if the water is actually safe to drink.
Sera Young, a professor of anthropology and global health at Northwestern, and the senior author of this study, stated, “If we believe our water is unsafe, we will likely refrain from using it.”
She further explained, “When we do not trust our tap water, we tend to purchase bottled water, which is prohibitively expensive and harmful to the environment; we may choose sugary drinks like soda, which are detrimental to dental health and body weight; or we turn to heavily processed meals or dining out, which are often less nutritious and costlier.” She added, “People exposed to unsafe water experience increased psychological stress and face a higher risk of depression.”
Young holds several academic positions, including being a Morton O. Schapiro Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Policy Research and co-leading the Making Water Insecurity Visible Working Group at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs.
The research analyzed data from 148,585 adults across 141 countries, gathered through the 2019 Lloyd’s Register Foundation World Risk Poll. The results show a significant expectation of harm from water supplies, with Zambia reporting the highest risk and Singapore the lowest, while globally, an average of 52.3% expressed concern.
The researchers also discovered specific demographics that are more likely to anticipate negative impacts from their drinking water. This included women, residents of urban areas, individuals with higher education levels, and those who are financially struggling.
Interestingly, the strongest indicator of anticipated harm from drinking water was a higher corruption perception index score, superseding factors like infrastructure quality and Gross Domestic Product.
Moreover, mistrust of water safety was widespread even in nations with reliable access to clean water, including the U.S., where 39% of surveyed individuals feared serious harm from their drinking water in the near future.
Joshua Miller, a doctoral student at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and the lead author of the study, emphasized, “Our findings underscore the necessity of providing safe drinking water while also ensuring the public trusts their water supply.”
They pointed out the challenges consumers face in assessing the safety of their water, as many hazardous substances are not detectable by sight, smell, or taste. Lacking sufficient information, people often judge their water’s safety based on past experiences, media coverage, and personal beliefs.
“It’s also likely that people’s concerns about water safety are justified,” Young said, referencing the people of Flint, who accurately distrusted their water.
The study’s co-authors recommend several measures for officials to build public trust in drinking water safety. These include increasing access to water tests, providing translated test results, replacing lead piping, distributing home water filters for detected contaminants, and ensuring better overall access to safe drinking water.
Aaron Salzberg, the director of the Water Institute at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, remarked, “This type of research can inspire increased attention and political commitment to prioritize drinking water services within national development initiatives, helping us move towards universal access to safe drinking water.” Previously, Salzberg coordinated U.S. water resources at the Department of State, managing policies related to drinking water, sanitation, and transboundary water issues.
