Tap Water, Bottled Water or In-Home Water Treatment Systems: Insights on Household Perceptions and Choices

Abstract

This article addresses household strategies for coping with perceived tap water quality issues. By using a household survey (n = 581) in Catalonia (Spain) and three models, this article analyses the drivers and motivations behind the installation of in-home water treatment systems, and the use of bottled water for drinking and cooking. The main explanatory factors of the higher consumption of bottled water were the perception of poor tap water quality, the lack of in-home treatment systems, and the presence of children at home. Income did not appear as a significant variable explaining the use of bottled water, unlike in other studies. The presence of in-home treatment systems is related to factors, such as perceived bad water quality, larger households, and single-family housing. Income and housing tenure appeared as explanatory variables only when considering systems requiring some kind of installation: lower incomes or renting a multi-family house reduce the probability of having an in-home water treatment that required installation because of important investments and operating costs, and the space needed in the housing units. In-house water treatment systems may become a solid alternative to bottled water when tap water raises problematic perceptions related to bad taste, odor, or lime presence.