A research organization conducted a survey in March 2018 regarding several issues in the news or of concern in America at that time, most of which are still concerns today. However, its key focus was looking into the “value of water.”
The study, American Support for Investments Water Infrastructure, involved 1001 telephone interviews with voters throughout the country. According to researchers, the survey has a sampling error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.
We should also point out that this was a bipartisan study. One researcher, Dave Metz, was one of the heads of the survey and is with a national Democratic opinion research organization. The other top person was Lori Weigel who works for the largest Republican polling firm in the country. They revealed some of their key findings.
When participants were asked which of the following news items of the day were most important to them, at the bottom of the list was building a wall on the Mexican border.
About half of the participants believed increasing funding for defense and beefing up antiterrorism programs were much more necessary.
However, at the top of the list was “Rebuilding America’s Water Infrastructure.” Eighty percent indicated this was extremely or very important to them.
The data was then broken down, noting how important it was to different demographic groups that we rebuild America’s water infrastructure. The following percentages of groups thought it was extremely or very important:
• Democrats—88 percent
• Independents—80 percent
• Republicans—66 percent
• Age 18 to 49—79 percent
• Age 50 and older—78 percent
• Women—81 percent
• Men—74 percent
What is also interesting to note is that a vast majority of Latinos, African-Americans, Whites, and Voters of Color also thought we need to rebuild water infrastructure in this country. Further, this was true no matter where they lived in the country.
One other key finding is that three-quarters of those participating in the study said they would be willing to pay for water and wastewater services if asked to. Along with so many Americans agreeing that improving the country’s water infrastructure was crucial, the willingness to pay more is probably the key finding of the study, according to Klaus Reichardt, CEO and founder of Waterless Co.
“For decades, water has been viewed as a right by many Americans, and because of this, charges have been kept very low,” says Reichardt. “It’s not a right. It’s not mentioned in the Constitution. Water is a resource and fast becoming a very precious resource. We need to be willing to pay a fair rate to store, treat, deliver, and remove water throughout the country.”
For more information on ways to reduce water consumption, contact a Waterless Co representative at 1-800-244-6364
