Exploring Public Perceptions of Water on Water Street

 

/  Travis Loop – Founder of waterloop /

/  January 15, 2025 /

 

Water is a part of our daily lives that many of us rarely stop to think about. As someone who’s been telling stories about water for years, I’m always curious about what people know—and what they don’t—about this essential resource.

That curiosity has led to a new series where I head out to Water Street in Washington, D.C., right by the Reservoir Center, to ask people on the street some basic but thought-provoking questions about water.

The goal is simple: see how people think about water, capture their responses, and share them back with the broader water community.

One thing I’ve noticed in my career is how much of a gap there is in public awareness about water issues, from where drinking water comes from to what it takes to deliver it safely to taps. This gap makes it harder for the water sector—and for everyone working to protect water resources—to build the public support they need. I hope this series adds a new layer of insight into how people think about water and sparks conversations that help bridge that gap.

For this first installment, I asked three questions: How many people in the U.S. don’t have safe drinking water? Where does your drinking water come from? And how much water do you drink each day? Their answers were enlightening, and in some cases, surprising.

When I asked how many people in the U.S. lack access to safe drinking water or proper sanitation, one response in particular stayed with me. Someone guessed “45%,” which is wildly high but shows how little people understand the issue. The actual number—2.2 million people—still caught most people off guard. It’s not surprising that so many take water for granted when it flows freely and safely from the tap, but this lack of awareness also explains why issues like inequities in access don’t get the attention they deserve.

The second question—where does your drinking water come from—was also revealing. Most people simply pointed to their tap or mentioned filtering it with a Brita pitcher. One person guessed “a reservoir somewhere north of Baltimore City,” which was as close as anyone got to thinking about the real source of their water. In hindsight, I realized the question wasn’t clear enough. As a water professional, I assumed people would connect the dots to rivers, lakes, or groundwater, but that wasn’t the case. It’s a reminder that we can’t assume people know what we know in this field.

The final question—how much water do you drink each day—produced some entertaining responses. One person said they aim to drink “the same amount as I weigh,” which struck me as both ambitious and amusing. Most people admitted they weren’t drinking enough, though there was a shared sense that staying hydrated is important. At least the health messaging is getting through.

This first outing on Water Street reinforced for me how much there is to learn by simply asking people questions about water. It’s fun, eye-opening, and often humbling. If you want to hear their responses for yourself, I encourage you to watch the video—people’s reactions are priceless.

I’ll be back on Water Street throughout the year, asking new questions and sharing what I learn. If you’ve got ideas for what I should ask next, drop me a message on Linked-In. Let’s see what people really think about water—and let’s work together to keep the conversation flowing.