In March, the Value of Water Campaign (VOW) fielded its sixth annual poll, designed to understand voters’ views on water issues, including water infrastructure, support for water infrastructure investment, and confidence and support for water systems. Today, VOW will release the results of the study of over 1,000 voters in the United States, which finds voter support for increasing federal infrastructure investments remains high across demographics.
Key findings include:
- The highest single federal priority for voters among a variety of issues polled was ensuring a reliable water supply, with 83 percent rating this issue as very or extremely important;
- Seventy-eight percent support increasing federal investment to rebuild water infrastructure, including pipes, pumps, reservoirs, treatment plants, and other facilities to ensure safe, reliable water service;
- Seventy-six percent are confident in the safety of their community’s drinking water supply;
- Eighty percent trust that the pipes in their homes are safe;
- Seventy-nine percent rate their local community water infrastructure as good;
- Seventy percent support ensuring drinking water and wastewater agencies receive federal COVID-19 relief parity with organizations that maintain transportation and other forms of infrastructure;
- When informed that ratepayers would bear some costs, nearly two-thirds (62 percent) continued to support capital investments at the national, state, and local levels even with a $1.2 trillion price tag; and
- Nearly three-fourths (73 percent) say what they pay for water and wastewater service is affordable, but rural and lower-income households were less likely to view these services as affordable.