Using water wisely and attitudes to tap water

This research, carried out on behalf of CCWater examined people’s attitudes to water use – especially saving water at home – and tap water. YouGov surveyed a representative sample of 3,116 adults in England and Wales, including customers (bill payers) as well as consumers (non-bill payers). The results will act as a benchmark to track people’s attitudes over time.

Using Water Wisely

• Two in five adults (41%) in England and Wales have not made a conscious decision to use less water over the past three years. Almost a quarter (23%) of these adults are not taking any action to save water.
• People who have made a conscious decision to save water are more likely to take action in simple ways, like showering instead of having a bath (35%) or turning off the tap when brushing their teeth (28%).
• Many people felt saving water was ‘common sense’ and they didn’t need to find out how to do it (57%).

Attitudes to Tap Water

• Eight out of ten people (78%) in England and Wales drink tap water at home. The top three reasons for doing so are cost, value and convenience.
• One in ten people in England (9%) and in Wales (8%) drink bottled still water at home. The reasons for this include: tap water quality (taste/smell 43%, appearance 20%), tap water safety (might contain things I don’t want to drink 30%, unsure about the safety of tap water 24%) and the convenience of bottled water (20%).
• People who drink tap water at home said lack of easy access to drinking water taps or fountains was a barrier to them when they are out and about. Seven out of ten people (68%) said it was difficult to access free tap water.