Building Trust in Tap Water
There has been limited focus on home tap water–based interventions as a strategy to reduce sugary drink intake among families with young children. If families feel confident that their tap water is safe and appealing to drink, they may be more likely to drink more water and fewer bottled drinks, including sugary drinks, supporting better health including prevention of nutrition-related diseases and lower household costs and adverse environmental impacts.
Goal
The goal of the Building Trust in Tap Water randomized control trial is to understand if home-based, tap water testing, tailored remediation, and education impacts tap water security experiences and water and sugar-sweetened beverage intake among low-income preschoolers and their parents/guardians.
Eligible Centers
Parent/caregivers of preschool-aged children enrolled in childcare centers that participated in Healthy Drinks, Healthy Futures (HDHF) but did not receive the program
Families in Santa Clara County, California
English- or Spanish-speaking
Not planning to move during study period
Parents/guardians of preschool-aged children who do not have health conditions that preclude intake of water
Building trust in tap water - Healthy Drinks, Healthy Futures Program
Home tap water testing via an EPA-certified laboratory; easy mail-in kits with video instructions
Tailored plan for addressing contaminants and/or aesthetic issues (taste, odor, appearance)
Zoom/phone consults to review testing results and remediation options (if needed)
One on one Zoom/phone-based education & counseling regarding the impact of drinking different types of water and sugary drinks
Educational materials and tools for home use, including reusable parent/child water bottles, personalized child beverage reports, educational handouts, children’s book and videos
*Some families start now whereas other get materials at a later date
Evaluation
To see if the program is effective, researchers will conduct:
Surveys of participating parents/guardians
Cost tracking to compare usual household water costs (bottled, filters, etc.) with Building Trust in Tap Water implementation costs
Up to $100 will be provided to each participating parent/guardian for their help with the evaluation
Estimated time (Over project year)
Parents/guardians: 5 hours
Policy Implications
Findings can support utilities and public health agencies and programs in deploying low-cost, scalable strategies to increase trust in tap water and reduce SSB intake, which also reducing costs for families and adverse environmental impacts.
Study Status
Recruiting by Invitation
Funder
Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment — Realizing Environmental Innovation Program (REIP)
Collaborators
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University