Concerns About Household Water Quality Increase, According To New National Study

Thirty-six percent concerned about contaminants in their water

Concerns about water quality among Americans has increased over the past two years, according to a new national public opinion study, with a significant jump in the number of homeowners who expressed concern about possible health risks associated with tap water (29%) compared with just two years ago (12%). Thirty-six percent of those surveyed said they are concerned about contaminants in their water, up from 25% in 2015.

Conducted in January and February of 2017, the study by Applied Research-West, Inc. on behalf of WQA, also found that more than a quarter of households (28%) were somewhat or very dissatisfied with the quality of their household water, also up from 2015 (26%).

“The significant increase in these numbers is sobering, but not surprising,” said WQA Executive Director Pauli Undesser. “Homeowners are seeing more and more evidence of water issues across the country and are understandably concerned about protecting their family the best they can.”

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires municipalities and public water systems to make available to their residents a copy of their annual drinking water quality report, also known as the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) by July 1st of each year. The WQA national survey found that 62 percent of households said they did not receive or did know if they received their CCR, up from 56 percent two years ago.

WQA recommends homeowners with concerns about their water have their water tested by a water treatment professional or certified lab. Water treatment professionals can be found using WQA's Find Water Treatment Providers tool. WQA recommends treatment products that have been certified. Consumers can visit WQA’s product certification listings to search WQA’s database of certified products and professionals.

How the survey was conducted: The report presents the findings of a national online survey conducted by Applied Research-West, Inc. between February 1-February 15, 2017. A total of 1,711 adults over the age of 18 and living in private households were interviewed. ARW used a random sampling procedure and the survey results.

More about the survey can be found at WQA.org. WQA also has made available a free booklet Water Treatment for Dummies (a Wiley Brand): WQA Special Edition to help consumers save money while enhancing the quality of the drinking water in their home or business.

About WQA

WQA is a not-for-profit trade association representing the residential, commercial, and industrial water treatment industry. Since 1959, the WQA Gold Seal certification program has been certifying products that contribute to the safe consumption of water. The WQA Gold Seal program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). For more information, visit wqa.org.