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. 2011 Feb;8(2):565-78.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph8020565. Epub 2011 Feb 21.

Bottled water: United States consumers and their perceptions of water quality

Zhihua Hu  1 , Lois Wright Morton, Robert L Mahler
Affiliations

Bottled water: United States consumers and their perceptions of water quality

Zhihua Hu et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011 Feb.

Abstract

Consumption of bottled water is increasing worldwide. Prior research shows many consumers believe bottled water is convenient and has better taste than tap water, despite reports of a number of water quality incidents with bottled water. The authors explore the demographic and social factors associated with bottled water users in the U.S. and the relationship between bottled water use and perceptions of the quality of local water supply. They find that U.S. consumers are more likely to report bottled water as their primary drinking water source when they perceive that drinking water is not safe. Furthermore, those who give lower ratings to the quality of their ground water are more likely to regularly purchase bottle water for drinking and use bottle water as their primary drinking water source.

Keywords: bottled water; ground water quality; water quality perceptions.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Map of the Sampled Regions and States.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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