A major global study conducted in the United States reveals that 40 percent of people around the world are losing confidence in tap water, fearing it may be unsafe, a concerning insight that demands immediate government intervention, according to Bluewater, a global pioneer in water purification and beverage solutions. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, involved 148,585 adults across 141 countries and was 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 pointed out that the growing mistrust of tap water is driving the surge in bottled water sales, which has dire consequences for the planet’s health, environment, and inhabitants.
According to the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health, more than 600 billion single-use plastic bottles are produced annually, with most ending up in landfills and oceans, where they release toxic chemicals and degrade into micro and nanoplastic particles. A groundbreaking 2023 report, ‘Hidden Hazards: The Chemical Footprint of a Plastic Bottle,’ concluded that the widespread use of PET plastics “may prolong the climate crisis, threaten human health, and promote environmental racism.”
Mr Rittri noted that the study highlights how difficult it is for consumers to assess the safety and hazards of their water supply, as many contaminants are undetectable by sight, smell, or taste. He expressed shock that 39% of those surveyed 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 this mission, providing a range of solutions that empower consumers and businesses to convert tap water into purified water that is safer and healthier to drink.
In 2024, Bluewater launched 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 essential minerals for improved health and taste.
Bluewater also introduced a new range of public dispensers in Europe under the name Bluewater Flow, intended for use in public spaces such as gyms, offices, hospitals, and schools. Other public dispensing solutions have been highly successful at major sporting and other events aiming 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.
