Public Awareness of Drinking Water Safety and Contamination Accidents: A Case Study in Hainan Province, China

Li Wang,Lan Zhang,Yawei Zhang,Bixiong Ye,Jia Lv

doi:10.3390/w10040446

Li Wang, Lan Zhang + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/w10040446

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Abstract

To understand public awareness about drinking water safety and water contamination accidents in rural areas of China, two rural counties of Hainan Province were selected as pilot sites for investigation. We explored the degree of public satisfaction with drinking water quality, public trust of drinking water safety, and public awareness about drinking water problems and solutions. The results showed that 80.3% of respondents were satisfied with the quality of their drinking water. About 78.8% of respondents paid special attention or comparatively high attention to drinking water quality and contamination accidents, especially regarding potential damage to the human body and health, the influence scope, and the causes of accidents. A total 52.4% of respondents solved drinking water problems by themselves; few respondents complained to the health department or called the local telephone hotline. Age and sex did not play significant roles in the degree of public satisfaction with water quality or in the public perception of water pollution accidents; however, residents in rural areas within a drinking water quality monitoring network were more satisfied with their drinking water quality and more aware of drinking water contamination accidents than in areas outside of such a network. Respondents with higher education levels had greater awareness than those with lower education levels with respect to water quality and water pollution accidents.

Highlights

Access to safe drinking-water is important as a health and development issue at national, regional and local levels [1]
There has been great effort made from government, industry, academia, and nongovernmental organizations in China to face the challenges of drinking water pollution events [3,4]
We found that respondents who have some information about their water quality are more confident in their drinking and offer stronger support for the protection of water safety and prevention of water pollution

Summary

Introduction

Access to safe drinking-water is important as a health and development issue at national, regional and local levels [1]. China has experienced many drinking water pollution accidents in the past several decades [2]. There has been great effort made from government, industry, academia, and nongovernmental organizations in China to face the challenges of drinking water pollution events [3,4]. Owing to the governing structure of Chinese society, public participation has not been well-developed with respect to environmental protection [5]. Municipalities and educators have learned that it is not enough to just provide safe drinking water to consumers. IWA declared standards should be based on the protection of human health and consumer acceptability [7].

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