Bottled Water: United States Consumers and Their Perceptions of Water Quality

Zhihua Hu, Lois Wright Morton and Robert L. Mahler
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Zhihua Hu: Department of Sociology, Iowa State University, 103 East Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Lois Wright Morton: Department of Sociology, Iowa State University, 103 East Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA
Robert L. Mahler: PSES Department, University of Idaho, P.O. Box 442339, Moscow, ID 83844, USA

IJERPH, 2011, vol. 8, issue 2, 1-14

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; water quality perceptions; ground water quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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