WASHINGTON, DC, May 7, 2015 -- To commemorate Drinking Water Week 2015, taking place May 3-9, the Value of Water Coalition (VWC) recently released the results of a poll that asked Americans about the importance of water in their lives. The results indicated that four out of five citizens said it was important or extremely important to invest in strategies and programs to develop sustainable water supplies.
The survey explained that water and wastewater service providers are the primary source for funding water infrastructure, and customers are typically charged relatively small fees for water compared to other household utilities such as electricity, heat, cable, or Internet. Surprisingly, more than half of respondents agreed that water bills need to increase so water systems can be modernized.
"The results of this survey show that Americans know the truth about water: It is essential, at risk and worth investing in," said VWC Director Radhika Fox. "During National Drinking Water Week, we want to remind Americans that the infrastructure that brings water to and from their homes and businesses is incredibly valuable, and in need of investment.
"In many communities, water systems are more than a century old and desperately need to be modernized," she continued. "What these new national poll findings demonstrate is that Americans fundamentally understand how essential water and wastewater service is to their everyday lives, and they are willing to make the investment to ensure reliability, even if it means that their water bills will increase."
The survey was commissioned by the VWC and conducted online by Harris Poll between April 9-13, 2015, among 2,023 adults ages 18 and older living in the United States. The finding show that 82 percent of Americans think it is important or extremely important to invest in strategies and programs that develop sustainable water supplies.
Accordingly, after explaining that the primary source of funding to modernize and repair water infrastructure is the revenue collected by local water and wastewater providers from their customers, more than half of respondents (56 percent) agreed with the statement, "water bills need to increase to repair and modernize water and wastewater infrastructure."
See also:
"Water Week 2015: Value of Water Coalition celebrates clean water investments"
"Value Of Water Coalition announces addition of 12 new partners"
About the Value of Water Coalition
The Value of Water Coalition includes key public and private sector leaders from the U.S. world of water. We aim to educate the public on the importance of clean, safe, and reliable water to and from every home and community, and to help ensure quality water service for future generations. For more information, visit www.thevalueofwater.org.
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