Most of respondents are concerned about lead levels in drinking water
SHEBOYGAN, Wis., Aug. 14, 2000 (PRNewswire) -- According to a national consumer survey released today, only 36 percent of Americans have even heard of the contaminant MTBE (methyl tertiary-butyl ether) which has been recently discovered in certain water supplies located in 49 states.
Forty-six percent of the informed Americans are very concerned that MTBE may affect themselves or their family. Forty-three percent of all Americans surveyed are very concerned about their home drinking water's lead levels.
The survey, which was conducted for by Culligan International Company by Opinion Research Corporation, questioned a random sample of 1,000 Americans about their perceptions on their residential drinking water as well as their awareness of MTBE and lead in certain water supplies. Based on the survey's findings, researchers concluded that most American consumers are undereducated about major issues related to the quality of their drinking water.
"It's alarming that more than 60 percent of Americans are unaware of a major water quality issue such as MTBE," notes Gary Hatch, Ph.D., chemical engineering manager and laboratory director at Plymouth Products, Inc., a subsidiary of USF Consumer & Commercial Group, Inc. "This illustrates that consumers are taking a passive role in ensuring the quality of their home drinking water. They're just assuming that their water is as pure as it can be.''
Homeowners should be concerned about contaminants like lead, Hatch said, because it can be deposited into drinking water as it runs through pipes and plumbing on its way to the faucet.''
An oxygenated fuel additive used in reformulated gasoline, MTBE is intended to reduce emissions from motor vehicles. When the chemical reaches water supplies, it may have a taste or odor impact on the water. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), MTBE is considered a potential human carcinogen.
Those Americans most concerned about the MTBE issue reside in the Western region of the United States, where only 50 percent are unfamiliar with MTBE. Of the 46 percent western region residents who are familiar with MTBE, 51 percent are concerned about the contaminant's possible health-related effects. The survey indicates that those Americans most concerned about lead reside in the Southern region(3) of the U.S., where 48% of residents are very concerned about the lead levels in their home drinking water.
Culligan manufactures home filtration products. Among them are the recently introduced Culligan SY-2300 MTBE Filtration System, an NSF-certified retail product that can reduce MTBE. In addition, the Culligan SY-2300 MTBE Filtration System is the certified to filter up to 500 gallons of water. Some Culligan products, including the SY-2300, reduce lead in addition to numerous other contaminants. For more information on Culligan, visit the company's web site at http://www.culligan.com.
To see a copy of "MTBE Fact Sheet #1," visit the EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks at http://www.epa.gov/swerust1/mtbe/
