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99.95% of Britain's tap water is safe
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London is perceived as having the poorest quality water in the UK, according to a survey
The survey, carried out on behalf of SodaStream’s Penguin drinksmaker, showed that London water is bottom of the league when it comes to what people think of their water quality, with just 12% of people giving their water the highest quality rating.
Scotland came top of the league with 72% giving a big thumbs up to their drinking water.
The survey comes hot the heels of news that The Green Party is urging people to boycott bottled water in restaurants because Britain has some of the safest water in the world.
The Drinking Water Inspectorate’s latest research shows that 99.95% of tap water met health standards and that blind taste tests have shown that consumers cannot distinguish chilled tap water from bottled.
The survey of 1,302 people, carried out by Shape-the-Future found that increasing numbers of people are sceptical about bottled water.
Nationally, two thirds of respondents felt that bottled water was just a way of making people spend more money.
In London, 82% say they choose tap water at home, reserving bottled water for when they’re on the move. The majority (58%) say that bottled water costs too much, with a quarter expressing increasing concern about the environmental impact of plastic bottles.
When asked what makes them thirsty, 93% of respondents cited ‘being out in the sun’ as their number one cause of thirst, above physical exercise, too much alcohol, salty snacks and nerves.
Calli Robertson, of SodaStream, said: “We weren’t surprised by the results of the survey. Sadly it confirmed that although 75% of people prefer to drink tap water at home, they are not drinking nearly enough of it.
"Only 3.5% of the of the UK adult population are drinking 2-3 litres of water a day, which is the recommended daily intake."
The top five regions believed to have the best quality tap water:
1. Scotland
2. Wales
3. The North West
4. Yorkshire
5. The South West
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