Survey finds only 53% of Florida public trusts drinking water
October 21st is the "Imagine a Day Without Water” day. #valuewater
October 21 – Only 53% of the Florida public trusts their tap water at home for drinking according to a new international consumer survey commissioned by Kemira, a global leader in water treatment chemistry. That means about half of Floridians are either unsure or do not trust that tap water is safe to drink. The survey included 7,963 people from seven US states and five European countries. Kemira commissioned it to better understand public sentiments related to water and raise awareness of the challenges facing the water supply.
The survey found that public confidence in drinking water quality is generally low across the US. Just 60% of Americans believe their drinking water is trustworthy. The top reasons for distrust are fear of contaminants, chemicals, bacteria and disease.
“Everyone deserves access to clean, safe drinking water regardless of where they live,” said Michael Cavallero, Kemira’s regional vice president. “While most drinking water is safe, unfortunately that is not true everywhere across Florida or the US. As a result, the public seriously questions water quality.”
What Floridians had to say about water
There were 403 survey respondents from Florida, where concerns about “forever chemicals” like PFAS have plagued Miami, Tampa and other metro areas. Tampa Bay Water initiated a suit against chemical companies over PFAS contamination.
Florida had the lowest public confidence in drinking water of the states surveyed. Moreover, all the surveyed European countries reported higher confidence in water quality than Florida residents including Finland, Germany, Poland, Spain and the UK.
Kemira’s survey also found that many people are unaware of basic information related to the water supply, which may explain some of the distrust. About 55% of Floridians said they do not have a good understanding of where their water comes from, how it gets to their home or where it goes after they use it.
Drinking water in Florida comes from a mix of ground water and surface water. Utilities in Miami-Dade and Orlando, for example, use ground water from the Biscayne and Lower Floridan aquifers, respectively whereas water for Tampa residents is sourced from the Hillsborough River. Water utilities publish annual consumer reports that explain the water sources for each community, how water is treated and processed, and whether there have been issues or violations of state and federal water quality laws.
Kemira shared the survey results today on the sixth annual “Imagine a Day Without Water”, a national education campaign organized by the US Water Alliance to highlight the importance of water and the need for investment in American water infrastructure. Kemira supplies a variety of water treatment chemistry and digital monitoring solutions.
“We're thrilled that Kemira is a part of Imagine a Day Without Water. This national day of action educates our neighbors and public officials about the essential role water plays in all of our lives,” said Radhika Fox, CEO of the US Water Alliance. “This year showed us the critical importance of water service to safeguard public health and the economy. But the infrastructure and service it takes to bring water to our homes and businesses and take it away is not free and can’t be taken for granted. We all need to educate ourselves about where our water comes from and the investment these critical systems need.”
The full survey results are on Kemira’s website
#valuewater
For more information, please contact:
Michael Cavallero
Vice President, Commercial, Kemira
+17047713160
michael.cavallero @ kemira.com
Kemira is a global chemicals company serving customers in water intensive industries. We provide best suited products and expertise to improve our customers’ product quality, process and resource efficiency. Our focus is on pulp & paper, oil & gas and water treatment. In 2019, Kemira had annual revenue of around EUR 2.7 billion and over 5,000 employees. Kemira shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. www.kemira.com
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