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AP poll: Americans split over safety of US drinking water

Posted at 2:46 PM, Mar 05, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-05 14:46:26-05

DETROIT (AP) — An Associated Press poll shows only about half of Americans are very confident in the safety of their drinking water.

Water contaminated with lead in Flint, Michigan, has been in the headlines for months. An AP-GfK poll finds more than half of Americans believe Flint is a sign of widespread problems in the U.S. About seven in 10 drink tap water, but about half of those first run it through a filter.

The poll found only 47 percent of Americans say they’re extremely or very confident about the safety of their drinking water, while 33 percent say they’re moderately confident. Trust is even weaker among minorities and people with lower income.

Flint’s water became tainted because water drawn from the Flint River wasn’t treated properly and caused lead to leach from old pipes.