Bottled or Tap Water? Factors Explaining Consumption and Measures to Promote Tap Water

The production and consumption of plastic bottled water have several negative environmental impacts worldwide. The EU countries have adopted strategies and programs to reduce single-use plastics, including PET bottles. A key aspect of designing effective policies is understanding consumer behaviour. To identify barriers and motivations for drinking tap and bottled water, we conducted a nationally representative questionnaire survey among 3,411 respondents in the Czech Republic in 2022. The results reveal that people aged 18-34 appear to be moderate consumers of bottled water and very frequent consumers of tap water. Bottled water consumption tends to be less frequent among people with higher education, while tap water consumption is less frequent among people with lower incomes. The most important factors that explain the frequency of drinking bottled and tap water are taste perception, health concerns and habit. Health concerns about tap water and the unpleasant taste of tap water influence higher consumption of bottled water and vice versa. People with a strong habit of drinking tap water are less likely to consume bottled water. The constructs from the Theory of Planned Behaviour were statistically significant. The results can guide decision-makers in promoting tap water to consumers. To encourage tap water drinking, we suggest measures to increase the availability of tap water in public places in conjunction with campaigns targeting taste and health perception and the habit of drinking tap water.