More
than half of Americans say they have concerns about the quality of their water
as more people become educated about specific contaminants and take action in
their homes. Those are two findings from an independent survey released by the
Water Quality Association.
The random sample survey, conducted by Applied Research-West, offers a look
into Americans’ evolving attitude about their water, especially when compared
to previous polls.
“We
are seeing people become more educated about water issues and finding ways to
ensure water quality for their families,” said
Peter J. Censky,
executive director of the Water Quality Association.
Among
the major findings:
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A quarter of consumers are “extremely concerned” about the quality of their
water supply, and only 45 percent say they are confident their water source
poses no health risk.
-
A majority of consumers are now willing to pay more for the elimination of
contaminants such as phamaceuticals. In previous surveys, less than 50 percent
expressed this opinion.
-
Nearly a quarter of consumers say they have primary responsibility in their
home for quality water, up from 20 percent in 2008.
The
survey showed that 39 percent of respondents stated that they believed federal
drinking water quality laws are “fair.”
About one-fifth (19 percent) of respondents were exposed
to “boil water alerts.” This prompted them to purchase a water
filtration device. Typically, a water filter pitcher or end-of-tap device was
purchased. More than half of those exposed to boil water alerts purchased home
filtration devices afterward, higher than the 38 percent who said they did so
in 2008.
Americans
seem to increasingly believe that responsibility for safe drinking water is a
public/private partnership.
Regarding
overall quality, specifically 49 percent of respondents indicate that they are
concerned or very concerned about their household water supply. Further, 54
percent are concerned about health contaminants in tap water. And 42 percent of
respondents stated that drinking water is not as safe as it should be.
Since
the previous survey was completed, news reports have brought many local and
national contamination issues to the public attention. The
New York
Times ran a series of articles entitled “Toxic Waters.” The
newspaper reported that 10 percent of Americans “have been exposed to drinking
water that contains dangerous chemicals or fails to meet a federal health
benchmark in other ways.”
In
2010, the President’s Panel on Cancer recommended that people use home
filtering devices to decrease exposure to cancer-causing agents.
