Public Perception of Drinking Water Quality in an Arsenic-Affected Region: Implications for Sustainable Water Management

This work explores the relationship between water quality and public trust in their water supply, in an arsenic-affected region of Serbia. The results from an online public survey are presented and subjected to Pearson’s correlation, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis. In general, survey respondents in settlements with known arsenic issues had a poor opinion on the quality of their tap water. This poor opinion was underlined by their consumption of bottled water, with more than 43% of responders purchasing at least 5 L of bottled water a week. In addition to the great economic cost, the relatively low plastic recycling rate in Serbia means that this also has a very negative effect on the environment, as most of the plastic bottles are sent to landfill, to degrade slowly into microplastics, whilst leaching a variety of chemical contaminants into the surroundings. In the area studied, the poor public opinion of the water quality is a realistic reflection of water at the tap. Although significant, the additional environmental pollution from bottled water consumption should nonetheless be of secondary consideration in comparison to the health risks associated with chemical contaminants in the study area, with local waterworks requiring significant financial assistance if they are to meaningfully improve tap water quality.