Survey: Immigrants prefer bottled water due to tap water doubts
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A newly released survey of immigrants and refugees in Polk County found widespread skepticism about the safety of metro drinking water and a near-unanimous preference for bottled water.
Why it matters: Bottled water is more expensive, and local immigrant and refugee advocates say the misconception about local drinking water quality amounts to an "urgent equity issue," according to the report.
Context: Polk's foreign-born population increased 15% between 2017 and 2022, according to estimates published by the Iowa Data Center.
- The latest estimate puts the population at roughly 48,000 people, with more than 10% living in poverty, per the report.
What they did: The University of Iowa's Initiative for Sustainable Communities launched the study last year using a federal grant and guidance from Polk County government.
- Researchers interviewed 22 residents from six countries.
Reality check: The findings can't be generalized to the entire refugee and immigrant populations because of the low number of interviews, but their relatively consistent responses provide helpful insight, per the report.
What they found: Many respondents' perceptions were influenced by their experience of needing to boil water from rivers, streams and pumps in their countries of origin.
- Without information about local tap water, many continue to follow the same boiling practices, with 21 of 22 preferring bottled alternatives to tap water.
Zoom out: These foreign-born respondents are not alone in their reliance on bottled water.
- The U.S. has among the safest drinking water systems in the world, but Americans spend billions of dollars yearly on bottled water.
What's next: Municipalities, Polk County and immigrant and refugee advocates will launch educational and outreach efforts to encourage faith in the safety of local tap water in the coming months, Melissa Walker, a spokesperson for DSM Water Works, tells Axios.