AP poll: Americans divided on safety of US drinking water

DETROIT (AP) — When it comes to water, only about half of Americans are very confident in the safety of what's flowing from their tap, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll, which found that trust is even weaker among minorities and people with lower incomes.

The lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan, has been in the headlines for months, and more than half of Americans believe it's a sign of widespread problems in the U.S. About seven in 10 drink tap water, but about half of them first run it through a filter.

No level of lead in the human body is considered safe, especially in children.

"The perceptions are realities," said Marc Edwards, a water expert at Virginia Tech who played a vital role in documenting the lead problem in Flint.

Half of Americans say the federal government should do more to ensure safe drinking water, while 40 percent said the government's role is about right.

When told about the poll results, a spokesman for the American Water Works Association, which represents water professionals, said the "vast majority" of water utilities in the country surpass federal and state standards.

The AP-GfK Poll of 1,033 adults was conducted online from Feb. 11-15, using a sample drawn from GfK's probability-based KnowledgePanel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population.