Winnipeg, Manitoba – According to a new national survey, Canadians have more confidence that the water they drink today is safer than it was eight years ago, when seven people died in Walkerton, Ontario after drinking E. coli-tainted water.

Titled, A Clear Perspective of Canadians and their Drinking Water (2008), this national research study details Canadians’ views on key drinking water issues including public confidence in drinking water supplies, evolving patterns of tap and bottled water consumption and awareness of drinking water sources and systems. Undertaken on behalf of subscribers from both government and private sector organizations, the research report also monitors the degree of public support for various drinking waterrelated policies and practices and tracks attitudes and behaviours from earlier studies conducted in 2002, 2004, and 2006. Several new areas of enquiry that are explored this year include Canadians’ awareness of the impact of global warming on future drinking water supplies, environmental concerns over empty bottled water container disposal, and views on the condition of local water infrastructure. The study also provides comparative Canadian and American data for several key areas and highlights unique features that differentiate consumers from these two neighbouring markets.

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