These findings come from a recent online survey commissioned by the Water Quality Association (WQA) and conducted by Applied Research-West, Inc., which polled 1,711 American adults over the first two months of 2017 to see how they view their drinking water.
Since the WQA does this survey every couple of years, it’s interesting and telling to compare this year’s results with past survey results.
Among the most notable findings from the 2017 survey:
The number of respondents who identified lead as a water contaminant shot up to 18% this year (from 15% in 2015 to 33% in 2017)
The number of respondents who said they learned about water contaminants from the media increased by 16% this year (from 27% in 2015 to 43% in 2017)
Other insightful findings from the WQA survey:
41% say they purchased a water filtration device after an “unsafe water for use” or “boil-water alert” was issued in their area
63% say they’d be willing to pay more for a home water treatment system to remove lead
52% say federal laws governing drinking water quality are not strict enough
75% say the primary responsibility for ensuring safe drinking water lies with the municipality
