International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health

A government must be able to effectively relay important public health information to its constituents. Informing the public is a difficult task: during Hurricane Rita, only 31% of the population was even aware of a “Boil Water” notice. This study compares the United Kingdom’s public reaction to the same instruction under different circumstances. When municipal water sources become contaminated, water companies and local press both instruct the public on how to treat their water: Do Not Use, Do Not Drink, or Boil Water. This article compares public response to two different Boil Water notices, one after a routine incident in which a rabbit contaminated a treatment plant, and one after a natural disaster,…