Drinking water companies and the industry association Vewin are reassuring young people online about misinformation about the safety of drinking water. Research conducted by the agency Motivaction, involving nearly 3,500 participants, found that young people’s confidence in the quality of tap water is lower than that of the general population in the Netherlands.
To address this issue, the drinking water companies plan to share “factual, accessible information” about the quality of tap water, its purification process, and ongoing monitoring. They have created videos for online distribution, where Annika Gillissen from the drinking water company PWN explains, “We want young people to know that our tap water is purified effectively, so there’s no need for them to filter it themselves, and that it contains beneficial substances like minerals.”
According to the Motivaction survey, six out of ten young people aged 18 to 24 sometimes worry about the safety and health implications of tap water, a percentage significantly higher than in other age groups. Among this demographic, 40 per cent express concerns about the safety of tap water, with 7 per cent reporting extreme concern. Additionally, about 70 per cent of young people expect their drinking water companies to communicate openly and honestly about the origin and quality of tap water. In comparison, this expectation holds for nearly 80 per cent of the general Dutch population.
Moreover, the companies and Vewin note that three-quarters of young people often worry about the availability of tap water and perceive drinking water companies as less transparent. Information from social media significantly influences the perceptions of this age group. In recent years, various videos have circulated suggesting that tap water is unsafe or requires filtering before consumption.
