Flush your disgust. We can’t let emotions dampen our water policies

Disgust and drinking water are linked by what psychologists call perceptions of “contagion.” Some people believe that when water has been touched by an undesirable substance – for example, feces – it will remain disgustingly tainted until somehow cleaned or purified. Bottled-water companies successfully exploit such perceptions by emphasizing how their products are separate from and free of contaminants – and so safe, pure and beneficial to health – despite the fact that their water is often inferior to what comes out of the municipal tap.