Dutch do not taste difference between bottled water and tap water
Dutch people pay up to 500 times more for bottled water from abroad, while they don't even taste the difference with tap water. This emerged from a large taste test with participants from the Netherlands. Without sight of brand or packaging, they failed to distinguish tap water from well-known bottled water brands such as Spa, Evian and Aqua Panna.
International studies show same pattern
And the Netherlands is not the only country where this happens: international studies show the same pattern. Studies by the University of Geneva, the University of Barcelona and Consumer Reports USA show time and again that people do not taste a significant taste difference between tap water and bottled water. Yet consumers continue to massively choose a product sold primarily through marketing.
More expensive and polluting, but not tastier
The blind taste test in the Netherlands was conducted by social enterprise KRNWTR+. Participants tasted four glasses of water: three with bottled water and one with tap water. The assignment? Recognize tap water.
No significant taste difference
The results are crystal clear: participants scored no better than if they had guessed at random. This means that most people cannot distinguish between tap water and bottled water.
"We think bottled water tastes better, but that's mainly due to marketing and the luxurious look of the bottle," says Tom Niekamp of KRNWTR+. "Once the brand label disappears, the difference in taste also disappears."
World Water Day: time to choose more consciously
On World Water Day (March 22), global attention is drawn to sustainable water use. This research shows that the billion-dollar industry surrounding bottled water is largely about perception. Tap water is not only just as tasty, but also much more environmentally friendly.
Research resultsin brief:
- 438 participants from the Netherlands participated.
- 1 in 4 thought for sure which glass was tap water - but were wrong.
- The average score was no better than gambling (25%).
- No significant difference between bottled water and tap water.
- Which glass is tap water?
- Participants: Aqua Panna, Tap water, Spa, Evian
Bottled water consumption doubles
According to the Dutch soft drink, water and juice industry (FWS), about 1.4 billion liters of bottled water was sold in the Netherlands in 2022. Consumption of bottled water has doubled over the past 10 years, while Dutch tap water is among the cleanest in the world.
Do you think you do taste the difference?
