Aquasana's sixth annual Water Quality Survey taps into U.S. water quality concerns as worries about lead, PFAS and microplastics climb

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Aquasana, a leading maker of high-performance water filtration solutions for the home, today announced the results of its sixth annual Water Quality Survey, which polls Americans about their drinking water knowledge, habits and concerns in honor of National Water Quality Month. One of the most notable findings from this year's survey, which polled 1,093 U.S. adults in April 2024, is that the majority of Americans believe filtering their drinking water at home contributes to longevity. In fact, more than three-quarters (76%) of Americans believe drinking clean, filtered water aids in living a longer and healthier life, and 77% agree that access to clean, trustworthy tap water at home is important for their health.

"We conduct the Aquasana Water Quality Survey every year to keep a finger on the pulse of how people really feel about their drinking water, as well as track new trends and top areas of concern," said Derek Mellencamp, General Manager of Aquasana. For the first time, this year's survey asked people to identify the top three lifestyle choices they think are most important for living a longer and healthier life. Proper hydration came in as the third most important lifestyle choice out of eight options, following diet and nutrition, and adequate sleep. "Americans understand that hydrating is essential for wellness, and the quality of the water they're drinking is just as important, if not more, than the quantity."

According to this year's survey, most Americans (56%) now believe that filtered tap water is the most trustworthy source of clean drinking water, ahead of bottled water, up from 14% from 2023. In contrast, public trust in the tap has declined significantly over the past year. Only 8% of Americans selected unfiltered tap water as the most trustworthy drinking source in 2024, a dramatic 74% drop from 31% in 2023.

"We've previously reported that overall awareness around water quality issues has been steadily rising in recent years, along with the number of people choosing to filter their water at home," said Mellencamp. "From lead in pipes and school drinking fountains, to PFAS hotspots around the country, and the sheer prevalence of microplastics in our water and food supply – the frequency and visibility of high-profile water concerns across the country continue to rise. It's clear that consumers are paying attention, and they are increasingly taking action to protect their overall health and wellbeing."

When it comes to specific drinking water contaminants, Americans cited lead as their number-one contaminant of concern (24%) – up 50% from just 16% in 2023 – followed by bacteria, cysts and viruses (23%), chlorine and chloramines (10%), pesticides and herbicides (10%), PFAS (10%), microplastics (9%), fluoride (8%), VOCs (3%) and pharmaceuticals (3%). While lead has consistently ranked among the top contaminants on Aquasana's annual list, the 2024 survey found significant growth in U.S. concern over PFAS and microplastics. The number of U.S. adults who cited microplastics as their number-one concern grew 350% compared to just 2% in 2023. Overall, the survey found that 83% of Americans are concerned about microplastics being in their drinking water.

Although PFAS tied for third place among other contaminants in this year's survey, concern over the toxic "forever chemicals" in drinking water has risen significantly over the past few years – spiking 233% from just 3% of U.S. adults in 2020 to 10% in 2024. In fact, concern over PFAS has risen the highest of any contaminant that Aquasana has tracked since 2020. On a broader scale, the vast majority of Americans (80%) reported being at least somewhat concerned about the presence of PFAS in their homes.

"Installing a water filter is a simple and effective way to instantly improve the overall health and wellness of a home," added Mellencamp. "We're excited to see that more Americans are recognizing the vital role that drinking clean, filtered water plays in living a longer and healthier life, and we're committed to providing high-performance water treatment solutions they can count on and trust."

Aquasana's high performance Claryum® filtration technology is certified to remove up to 99% of 78 contaminants, including lead, PFOA/PFOS, bacteria and viruses, pesticides, herbicides, microplastics and more. For the full list of survey results and more insights into how Americans feel about their drinking water, visit aquasana.com.

About Aquasana

Aquasana, an A. O. Smith Corporation company (NYSE-AOS), is dedicated to improving the overall health and wellness of every home by delivering clean, healthy and great-tasting water through its best-in-class water filtration systems. Aquasana's family of award-winning premium water filters – including whole-house filtration systems, shower filters, under sink and countertop filters, reverse osmosis systems and portable filter bottles – provide easy and immediate access to healthy water at home and on the go.

Media Contact

Cindy Young Vanhoutte, Aquasana, 1 512.585.0394, cindy.young@aquasana.com, www.aquasana.com

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SOURCE Aquasana