Parents’ Perceptions of Water Safety and Quality

Abstract

Every day parents make choices about the source of water their families consume. There are many contributing factors which could affect decisions about water consumption including taste, smell, color, safety, cost, and convenience. However, few studies have investigated what parents with young children think about water quality and safety in the US and how this affects the choices they are making. This study aimed to describe the perceptions of parents with regard to water quality and safety and to compare bottled water and tap water use, as well as to examine motivation for water choices. We conducted an online questionnaire to survey parents living in Pennsylvania about water quality and safety, and preference for bottled versus tap water. Parents were recruited through child care centers, and 143 surveys were returned. The survey results showed high overall scores for perception of tap water quality and safety, and a preference for tap water over bottled water. We found that parents were concerned for the environmental impact that buying bottled water may have but were also concerned about potential contamination of tap water by natural gas drilling processes and nuclear power plants. These findings regarding parental concerns are critical to inform pediatric health care providers, water sellers, and suppliers in order that they may provide parents with the necessary information to make educated choices for their families.

Journal of Applied Communications vol. 99 (3) Full Issue

“…Several studies around the nation have reported a decrease in the quality of drinking water (Hu et al, 2011;Merkel et al, 2012), and the media appears to be addressing water quality issues around the United States as well. Future studies could also evaluate state comparisons, not only noting differences among different states but also different regions in the United States (i.e., rural versus urban, population, etc.).…”

“…Additionally, areas like Denver, Colorado, have increased public awareness of water issues and water conservation efforts via the media (Stanford, 1996). While residents hold limited trust in popular media, the media still has the ability to raise a level of awareness of water issues (Merkel, Bicking, & Sekhar, 2012).…”

“…In a study conducted by Mahler et al (2004) in the Pacific Northwest, 99% of the respondents considered clean drinking water the most important water priority. With not only their personal health in mind, parents want to ensure their families are safe from radiation, bacteria, parasites, and other harmful contaminants (Araya & Kabakian, 2004;Hu, Morton, & Mahler, 2011;Merkel et al, 2012). Unfortunately, Mahler, Simmons, and Sorensen (2005) found many residents do not have adequate knowledge to evaluate potential water pollutants.…”

Demographic Factors Associated With Perceptions About Water Safety and Tap Water Consumption Among Adults in Santa Clara County, California, 2011

“…Choosing bottled water over tap water may be related to perceptions of safety, taste, and convenience (2–13). Understanding water consumption and perceptions of water safety can inform interventions like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW), which promotes tap water as a healthful, fluoridated, low-cost, and environmentally friendly alternative (14).…”

Environmentally-related health impacts of coal seam gas development: An impact assessment approach in Queensland, Australia

“…Some studies found that community residents in UNGD areas were concerned about the risk of developing cancer (Merkel, Bicking, & Sekhar, 2011), felt that their health was worse than that of residents in neighbouring areas without UNGD (Coons & Walker, 2008), and were more or less likely to support UNGD based on their perception of UNGD as an environmental and public health threat (Kriesky, Goldstein, Zell, & Beach, 2013). While these studies demonstrate that there is a fear of the unknown for many residents, it is not yet clear if some health impacts will manifest, because of latency periods between exposure and effect.…”