From Bottle to Tap: A Systematic Review of Interventions That Shift Beverage Intake from Sugar-Sweetened and Bottled Drinks to Tap Water
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58812/wsis.v3i12.2503Keywords:
Bottle-To-Tap Interventions, Tap Water, Sugar-Sweetened Beverages, Water Security, Environmental Sustainability, Health Equity, Beverage PolicyAbstract
Rising consumption of bottled water and sugar-sweetened beverages poses challenges for health, environmental sustainability, and equity in access to safe drinking water. This systematic review examines interventions promoting a shift from bottled drinks to tap or plain water, focusing on behavioral mechanisms and impacts on health, nutrition, and the environment. Studies reviewed included diverse settings and methodologies, assessing outcomes related to beverage intake and associated indicators. Successful interventions combined infrastructure improvements, such as hydration stations, with education and policy changes favoring tap water. Behavioral responses were influenced by perceptions of safety and taste, while socio-economic and demographic factors affected effectiveness. Interventions generally led to reduced consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and increased tap-water intake, with evidence of improved health outcomes in high-risk populations. Modelling studies anticipated significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and resource use by substituting tap water for bottled beverages. The review concludes that well-designed interventions can foster healthier beverage systems but calls for longer-term assessments that encompass health, environmental, and equity outcomes.
References
[1] Al-Bayatti, K. K., Al-Arajy, K. H., & Al-Nuaemy, S. H. (2012). Bacteriological and Physicochemical Studies on Tigris River Near the Water Purification Stations Within Baghdad Province. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/695253
[2] An, R. (2016). Plain water and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in relation to energy and nutrient intake at full-service restaurants. Nutrients, 8(5). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8050263
[3] Aouad, P., Ahmed, M. U., Nassar, N., Miskovic‐Wheatley, J., Touyz, S., Maguire, S., & Cunich, M. (2023). Appraisal of the Costs, Health Effects, and Cost-Effectiveness of Screening, Prevention, Treatment and Policy-Indicated Evidence-Based Interventions for Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review Protocol. Journal of Eating Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00802-2
[5] Borghi, A. D., Gallo, M., Gagliano, E., & Eleuteri, V. (2024). Regenerative Development Model: A Life Cycle-Based Methodology for the Definition of Regenerative Contribution Units (RCUs). Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031264
[6] Carriger, J. F., Barron, M. G., & Newman, M. C. (2016). Bayesian Networks Improve Causal Environmental Assessments for Evidence-Based Policy. Environmental Science & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.6b03220
[7] Chenoweth, J., Barnett, J., Capelos, T., Fife‐Schaw, C., & Kelay, T. (2010). Comparison of Consumer Attitudes Between Cyprus and Latvia: An Evaluation of Effect of Setting on Consumer Preferences in the Water Industry. Water Resources Management. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-010-9662-4
[8] Cifelli, C. J., Auestad, N., & Fulgoni, V. L. (2022). Replacing the nutrients in dairy foods with non-dairy foods will increase cost, energy intake and require large amounts of food: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2014. Public Health Nutrition, 25(2), 332–343. Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980020001937
[9] Cohen, A., & Colford, J. M. (2017). Effects of Boiling Drinking Water on Diarrhea and Pathogen-Specific Infections in Low- And Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.17-0190
[10] de Nascimento, C. T., de Oliveira, M. N., Campos Vidigal, M. T., Giuglio Inocêncio, G. S., Andrade Vieira, W. de, Franco, A., Ferreira, M. C., & Paranhos, L. R. (2022). Domestic Violence Against Women Detected and Managed in Dental Practice: A Systematic Review. Journal of Family Violence. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-021-00351-9
[11] Díez, J. R., Antigüedad, I., Basurko, E. A., & Martínez, A. R. (2018). Perceptions and Consumption of Bottled Water at the University of the Basque Country: Showcasing Tap Water as the Real Alternative Towards a Water-Sustainable University. Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103431
[12] Dizon, P., Jeanfavre, M., Leff, G., & Norton, R. (2023). Comparison of Conservative Interventions for Proximal Hamstring Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review and Recommendations for Rehabilitation. Sports. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11030053
[13] Goley, S. M., Sakula-Barry, S., Kelly, A. H., & Wright, N. (2019). Investigating the Use of Ultrasonography for the Antenatal Diagnosis of Structural Congenital Anomalies in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries: Systematic Review Protocol. BMJ Paediatrics Open. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2019-000538
[14] Green, R. F., M. Joy, E. J., Harris, F., Agrawal, S., Aleksandrowicz, L., Hillier, J., Macdiarmid, J. I., Milner, J., Vetter, S. H., Smith, P., Haines, A., & Dangour, A. D. (2018). Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Water Footprints of Typical Dietary Patterns in India. The Science of the Total Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.258
[15] Grupper, M. A., Schreiber, M. E., & Sorice, M. G. (2021). How Perceptions of Trust, Risk, Tap Water Quality, and Salience Characterize Drinking Water Choices. Hydrology. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology8010049
[16] Hu, Z., Morton, L. W., & Mahler, R. L. (2011). Bottled Water: United States Consumers and Their Perceptions of Water Quality. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph8020565
[17] Iannece, P., Motta, O., Tedesco, R., Carotenuto, M., & Proto, A. (2013). Determination of Perchlorate in Bottled Water From Italy. Water. https://doi.org/10.3390/w5020767
[18] Jakus, P. M., Shaw, W. D., Nguyen, T. N., & Walker, A. M. (2009). Risk Perceptions of Arsenic in Tap Water and Consumption of Bottled Water. Water Resources Research. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008wr007427
[19] Kaikkonen, L., Parviainen, T., Rahikainen, M., Uusitalo, L., & Lehikoinen, A. (2020). Bayesian Networks in Environmental Risk Assessment: A Review. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4332
[20] Karnaningroem, N., & Pradana, A. S. (2021). Study Risk Minimization of the Use Bottled Drinking Water (BDW) by Consumers Using Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Method. IOP Conf. Ser. Earth Environ. Sci., 799(1). Scopus. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/799/1/012037
[21] Krasner, S. W., Weinberg, H. S., Richardson, S. D., Pastor, S. J., Chinn, R., Sclimenti, M. J., Onstad, G. D., & Thruston, A. D. (2006). Occurrence of a New Generation of Disinfection Byproducts. Environmental Science & Technology. https://doi.org/10.1021/es060353j
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dudiyanto Pakaya, Fitriyane Lihawa, Dewi Wahyuni K Baderan

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.








