Why 40% of Philadelphians don’t drink the city’s tap wooder

The city mounted a new campaign to convince Philly residents the water is safe and delicious. But why don't they trust it in the first place?

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Forty percent of Philadelphians — many of them with lower incomes — drink bottled water at home, so a coalition is promoting tap water to residents. (Phil Gregory/WHYY)

Forty percent of Philadelphians — many of them with lower incomes — drink bottled water at home, so a coalition is promoting tap water to residents. (Phil Gregory/WHYY)

About 40% of Philadelphians drink bottled water at home because they don’t trust the H20 that flows from their faucets, according to a study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. Most are people of color and low-income residents. Now the city has mounted a campaign — including a new “water bar” — to convince residents to ditch plastic bottles and drink from the tap. But why don’t Philadelphians trust the city’s water in the first place? WHYY reporters Dana Bate and Catalina Jaramillo explain on this episode of The Why.

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