As millions of Americans are adjusting to life during a historic drought, and millions of others live in cities with outdated infrastructure, a new poll by The Value of Water Coalition is giving the organization hope. According to the poll, 82 percent of Americans think it is important or extremely important to invest in strategies and programs that develop sustainable water supplies.
“The results of this survey show that Americans know the truth about water – it is essential, at risk, and worth investing in,” says Radhika Fox, director of the Value of Water Coalition, of which Xylem is a founding member.
“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,” Fox says. “In many communities, water systems are more than a century old and desperately need to be modernized.”
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.
“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,” says Fox.
The poll was conducted online by Harris Poll between April 9-13, 2015, among 2,023 adults ages 18 and older living in the United States.
About the Value of Water Coalition
The Value of Water Coalition builds national will for investment in water infrastructure and water resources. The Coalition has come together to advance positive solutions to America’s pressing water challenges. Xylem is one of its founding members. Learn more at thevalueofwater.org