Abstract:
Despite strict regulations on the quality of drinking water in many countries,
the public is increasingly concerned about the safety of municipal utility water. For this
reason, acquiring a better understanding of consumer perception of utility water is an
important issue for water authorities and utility managers. In this study, the public
perception of utility water and factors influencing public’s choice in drinking water source
was investigated. A qualitative survey was carried out for 384 residents in Male’ and
results showed that 29.5% of respondents had trust in utility water as a source of potable
water. The extent of the prevalence of bottled water was also an important finding, while
societal distrust fueled by hearsay was identified as the main reason for public’s distrust
in utility water. Furthermore, unfavourable taste was identified as an important issue of
utility water, alongside distrust in hygiene levels. It was also found that while a majority
of respondents were aware about water standards, their perception on the utility water
remained largely uninfluenced by the standards. Areas in which the public utility company
could improve on to increase public trust and the means through which the company could
effectively reach out to the public were identified through the survey as well.
