"The Right To Clean Water Should Surely Apply To Everyone" : A qualitative study on perspectives of individual well owners and authorities in Sweden

ABSTRACT Background Water is an essential requirement for the survival and development of people. It is estimated that 435 million people get their drinking water from unprotected wells worldwide. Water scarcity and chemical or biological aspects in water have been revealed, which can negatively affect health. This study aims to explore individuals’ experiences in drinking water with non-public water, hence individual wells. A further aim of the study is to explore authorities’ perspectives for implementing safe drinking water (SDGs 6) in Swedish coastal and rural areas. Method In this qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were implemented to explore the experiences of 17 individual well owners and 4 authorities in non-public water use in Sweden. A thematic analysis was conducted to analyse the collected data. Findings There were three main findings in the study: Firstly, concerns about water scarcity and water quality, mostly from families with children. Secondly, there was a feeling of exclusion among individuals due to lack of support from authorities and thirdly, a gap between existing assessment guidelines and the practices of individuals in terms of follow-up and benchmarking of the National health guidelines. Conclusion The experiences of the individual well owners in Stockholm had some concerns due to water quality, the understanding, and implementation of the guidelines to safe drinking water. The authorities also highlighted the need for sustainable strategies. It concluded that multi-disciplinary approaches, communication, and community participation are necessary for a sustainable water strategy. These must be addressed globally as climate change impacts water supply and has a massive effect on rural and coastal areas. We never know the worth of water till the well is dry (Thomas Fuller)The project “Evaluation of individual wells and systems