A major global study from the United States reveals that 40 percent of people worldwide are losing trust in tap water due to fears over its safety, a concerning insight that demands urgent government action, says Bluewater, a global innovator in water purification and beverage solutions. The study – published in the journal Nature Communications – surveyed 148,585 adults across 141 countries, conducted by researchers at Northwestern University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“This shocking revelation underlines the need for governments and water authorities worldwide to urgently tackle the contamination of our drinking water by toxic chemicals, microplastics, and other pollution,” said Bluewater founder and CEO Bengt Rittri. The Swedish ecopreneur added that public distrust of tap water is driving the consumption of bottled water, which has a profoundly negative impact on the planet’s health, environment, and inhabitants.
According to the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, over 600 billion single-use plastic bottles are produced annually; most are not recycled and end up in landfills and oceans, where they release toxic chemicals and break down into micro and nanoplastic particles. A groundbreaking 2023 report entitled ‘Hidden Hazards: The Chemical Footprint of a Plastic Bottle’ concluded that the proliferation of PET plastics “may prolong the climate crisis, threaten human health, and promote environmental racism.”
Mr Rittri noted that the new study highlights how difficult it is for consumers to assess the hazards and safety of their water supply because many contaminants cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted. He expressed astonishment that 39% of those polled in the United States believed they could face serious harm from drinking tap water in the short term.
“When we launched Bluewater in 2013, it was with a planet plan rather than a traditional business vision, with the aim to develop technologies and solutions that would end the need for single-use plastic bottles,” Mr Rittri said. He added that Bluewater continues to vigorously pursue its plan, offering a steady stream of solutions that allow consumers and businesses to turn tap water into purified water that is safer and healthier to drink.
In 2024 alone, Bluewater has introduced a series of new products, including a unique kitchen station for homes and restaurants that removes up to 99.7 percent of contaminants such as toxic PFAS chemicals and microplastics from tap water, while adding vital minerals for enhanced health and taste.
Bluewater has also launched a new range of public dispensers in Europe called Bluewater Flow, designed for use in public spaces such as gyms, offices, hospitals, and schools. Other public dispensing solutions have proven hugely successful at major sporting and other events looking to boost their sustainability credentials, including golf, sailing, and running events like the British Open, The Ocean Race, America’s Cup, the Cape Town Marathon, governmental events such as COP 27 and 28, and numerous business conferences.
“We understand that the only way to tackle the plastic bottle menace is to restore public confidence in tap water, which will take substantial time, effort and money… or to increase awareness that solutions exist – like those provided by Bluewater that enable consumers to purify their tap water at point of use,” Mr Rittri said.
