Consumer confidence in drinking water

Tender description

This research will investigate the factors influencing consumer confidence in drinking water in England and Wales, and how DWI’s communications strategy might evolve to effectively support its statutory and non-statutory responsibilities. Research aims One of DWI’s core objectives is to protect and promote public confidence in the quality and safety of drinking water. Recent political, media and environmental pressures have highlighted the need for a robust evidence base to better understand what drives public perception in this space and what DWI’s role should be in communicating risk and assurance. This research will investigate the factors influencing consumer confidence in drinking water in England and Wales, and how DWI’s communications strategy might evolve to effectively support its statutory and non-statutory responsibilities. It will help answer questions such as: • What are the public’s current views on drinking water quality? • What drives or reduces trust in drinking water specifically, independent of broader industry issues? • What role can or should DWI play in informing, reassuring and correcting public narratives? Background Surveys by Ofwat and the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) indicate that consumer trust in drinking water in England and Wales fell from 90% to 60% between 2019 and 2024 (Ofwat/CCW, 2024). This coincides with increasing media attention on issues such as storm water overflows, PFAS, lead, and the recent Cryptosporidium incident in Brixham. While these wider issues are not always within DWI’s direct regulatory remit, they can significantly affect public perceptions of drinking water safety. Historically, DWI has adopted a reactive communications approach. However, the rising profile of water quality issues in political and media narratives signals a need to revisit this approach, particularly considering the regulator's emerging role in public communications and stakeholder assurance. There is a lack of up-to-date, dedicated evidence on how the public distinguishes drinking water quality from broader water industry concerns. This project seeks to fill that gap and develop practical recommendations to support future communications strategy, digital presence, and public engagement. Starting points for consideration should include public trust trends (Ofwat/CCW, 2024), approaches used by other UK regulators (e.g. Ofgem, EA, Ofwat), and DWI’s own digital channels (website, LinkedIn). The WHO has also noted a global decline in public trust in drinking water, making this issue increasingly relevant beyond the UK context (WHO, 2022). Detailed requirements The objectives are to: 1. Review how other regulators communicate with the public, particularly in times of crisis or misinformation. This should include regulators inside and outside the water sector (e.g. EA, Ofwat, Ofgem) and assess proactive versus reactive approaches. Recommendations should be made with reference to DWI’s statutory and non-statutory functions. Also, it should be clear which channels are to be used to seek this info. 2. Design and conduct a representative survey (in collaboration with CCW and/or similar bodies) to evaluate public perceptions of drinking water quality, separate from broader water sector issues. The review of other regulators should info the survey format and content. The survey should also explore information sources, usage habits, including bottled water usage, concerns about specific contaminants (e.g. PFAS, lead), and the impact of media coverage. A qualitative element would also be explored, through potential focus groups teasing out some elements of the survey such as coverage/perception in more detail. 3. Evaluate the effectiveness of DWI’s website and LinkedIn presence in providing accessible, relevant, and trusted information to consumers and media. Include recommendations for improvements, suggested metrics for tracking engagement, and search engine optimisation (SEO) methods to boost online visibility. 4. Assess whether DWI should use social media, and if so, how this could be implemented responsibly to support public engagement and reputation management. 5. Produce a final report synthesising findings from the above objectives, including evidence-based recommendations for future communication strategy, potential resource needs, and wider dissemination (e.g. publication, scientific or industry journals, and conference proceedings).