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Seeing—and tasting—is believing: A qualitative study of communities living along the Philippines' bustling Marikina River underscores the importance of taking into account local peoples' everyday experiences, practices, and perceptions in establishing water quality.

Anthropologists Gideon Lasco of the Ateneo de Manila University's Development Studies Program and Anita Hardon of Wageningen University's Knowledge, Technology, and Innovation Group undertook a four-month exploration of human-water relations in communities along the Marikina River. They followed the river upstream, interviewing water drinkers, distributors, and regulators from low- and middle-income groups.

Their research is published in the journal Human Organization.

The researchers found that people rely primarily on their own sensory experiences of the water—such as its color, taste, and smell—to evaluate its quality. For instance, while clear water is considered safer than muddy water, clear but rusty-tasting water is inferior to sweet-tasting water.

But more importantly, according to the researchers, people saw water quality as dynamic and changeable, depending on current and future circumstances. For example, a recent typhoon might make the water muddy for a few days, but it is seen to gradually clear up and improve.

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