Trump receives thumbs down from water industry
Water industry professionals skewed toward disapproval of President Donald Trump's performance in office thus far.
In a poll conducted by Waterworld following President Trump's first few months in office, roughly 58% of responses were "very negative" or "somewhat negative." 37% of responses were "very positive" or "somewhat positive," while 6% of responses had "neutral" feelings about the administration's performance so far.
Poll results
Very positive: 29%
Somewhat positive: 8%
Neutral: 6%
Somewhat negative: 8%
Very negative: 50%
Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number based on 308 respondents. To participate in this quarterly poll, subscribe to WaterWorld Weekly.
Overall, responses regarding the administration's performance were fairly split and highlighted topics including government funding, the environment, regulations and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Funding
Comments on funding varied. Some people applauded the Trump Administration's efforts to revise spending, while others were concerned that critical federal funding would be cut altogether.
"Things have been messy for sure, but I think it's fair to say that federal government operations have been less than stellar for some time and predecessor presidents have been lax to do much about it. That doesn't mean I think everything that is happening is good, but individuals in all roles need to have accountability. As far as the municipal infrastructure world goes, relying on unbalanced federal funding isn't really responsible. Each municipality has its own infrastructure challenges and needs to find a way to meet those with local resources. Not that the federal government can't facilitate with financing to help with cash flow challenges but that needs to be sustainably ongoing so that all municipalities have a similar opportunity over time to benefit," said a respondent in municipal government (city or county), "neutral" on Trump.
Environment
Comments on the enviroment varied, with some respondents stating that the administration's approach to the environment can better streamline processes, while others disapproved of the administration's cuts and restructuring.
"The last thing he and his administration care about is the environment and drinking water," said a respondent in municipal government (city or county), "very negative" on Trump.
Regulation
Comments on regulation were one-sided and focused on deregulation actions taken by the administration.
"Water safety is the single biggest accomplishment in USA that saved lives and allow communities to flourish. Deregulation and lack of oversight will definitely be a negative impact," said a respondent in OEM, "somewhat negative" on Trump.
"He is destroying the government agencies and staffing that support clean water and environment. He is trying to destroy the laws that support environmental protection in his quest to 'regulate' to put short term profits over the long-term health of humanity and the world," said a respondent in state government, "very negative" on Trump.
EPA
Comments about the EPA varied slightly and focused on layoffs and the gutting of the agency.
"They are willing to gut the EPA in favor of financial gain. They hold a total disregard for our natural world, which also means people suffer. Clean water is a right, a necessity and safeguards need to be in place to make certain our waters are clean, pure and accessible to everyone," said a respondent in other*, "very negative" on Trump.
*Respondents who answered with "other" for the organization they work for did not specify which company or industry they are currently in.
About the Author
Alex Cossin
Associate Editor
Alex Cossin is the associate editor for Waterworld Magazine, Wastewater Digest and Stormwater Solutions, which compose the Endeavor Business Media Water Group. Cossin graduated from Kent State University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. Cossin can be reached at [email protected].