New survey reveals most Americans buy bottled water – despite mounting health and environmental risks from microplastics

AUSTIN, Texas, April 21, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- According to a new survey from Aquasana, a leading maker of high-performance water filtration solutions for the home, 84% of Americans still turn to single-use plastic bottles for drinking water. In recognition of Earth Day, the company polled 1,231 U.S. adults in March 2026 to untap just how many households are still purchasing and drinking water from wasteful single-use plastic bottles on a regular basis. Against the backdrop of a global plastic pollution crisis and growing worry over microplastics health risks, this year's survey found that a staggering 68% of U.S. adults still drink bottled water on a weekly basis, with 32% saying they drink it daily and 36% drinking at least one or more bottles per week.

"We've been conducting surveys regularly for nearly a decade to keep a finger on the pulse of how people really feel about their drinking water, and we've seen that public concern over microplastics, in particular, has continued to climb over the past few years," said Rachel Carollo, marketing director at Aquasana. In August of 2025, the company's seventh annual Aquasana Water Quality Survey found that an overwhelming 83% of Americans are concerned about microplastics in their drinking water. What's more, the number of U.S. adults who cited microplastics as their number one drinking water contaminant of concern has more than quadrupled, spiking +400% year-over-year from 2023.

The United States ranks as the world's leading contributor of plastic waste. Americans purchase nearly 50 billion water bottles annually and throw away more than 60 million bottles per day, yet less than 5% of household plastic waste in the U.S. is recycled. Beyond the severe environmental toll, bottled water poses serious health risks due to excessive amounts of microplastics, which have been linked to increased risk of cancer, heart attack and strokes, immune system damage and more. Despite this, bottled water remains the most trusted source of drinking water for 34% of Americans, even though it contains over 2,000% more microplastics than tap water.

"The startling number of Americans who are still buying bottled water, even with rising concerns over microplastics and the health risks they present, signals a clear need for consumer education and action," added Carollo. "It is easy to stop drinking plastics. Installing a water filter is a simple and effective way to instantly improve the overall health and sustainability of a home. In addition to significantly reducing plastic waste by replacing up to 12,000 single-use plastic bottles of water per year, our high-performance under sink and countertop water filtration systems also strip microplastics from tap water for cleaner, healthier drinking water at home."

All Aquasana Claryum® under sink and countertop water filters are certified to remove up to 99.6% of microplastics from tap water, along with 77 other contaminants, including lead, PFOA/PFOS, bacteria and viruses, pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals, and more. For more information about reducing plastic waste and removing microplastics from drinking water, visit aquasana.com.

About Aquasana

Aquasana, an A. O. Smith Corporation company (NYSE-AOS), is dedicated to improving the overall health and wellness of every home by providing cleaner, healthier water through its best-in-class filtration products. Aquasana'sfamily of award-winning premium water filters – including whole-house filtration systems, shower filters, under sink and countertop filters, and reverse osmosis systems – provide easy and immediate access to healthy water at home and on the go.

Media Contact

Cindy Young Vanhoutte, Aquasana, 1 512-585-0394, cindy.young@aquasana.com, www.aquasana.com

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SOURCE Aquasana