I delivered this presentation on water-related public opinion to the California Water Association's annual meeting in Monterey on November 7.

1. Insights on Customer
Attitudes Toward Water
Mitch Tobin
Editor, WaterPolls.org
mitch@seatosnow.com

3. Overview
1) Americans are very worried about their water
2) Flint and drought have impacted public opinion
3) Water is less partisan than many other issues
4) Many favor conservation and see it as their civic duty
5) Americans are willing to pay to fix their water
infrastructure
6) Water seen as a good value, but people are wary of
rate increases
7) Communications are critical for recycled water

4. 1) Americans are very worried about their water

5. Only 1 in 3 Americans drink straight from the tap
Source: February 2016 AP-GfK Poll
What kind of water do you normally drink at home?
33%
36%
30%
2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Straight tap water Filtered tap water Bottled water Refused/Not
Answered

6. Only 1 in 4 Americans know source of their water
Source: March 2011 FM3/POS poll

7. Awareness of water source varies across the West
Source: FM3/POS Sept./Oct. 2017 Water Foundation poll

8. Americans have worried about water for decades
Source: Gallup Poll

9. Water pollution rated as serious as heroin abuse
Source: 2016 Kaiser Health Tracking Poll

10. 47%
73%
66%
51%
46%
54%
78%
75%
65%
49%
56%
80%
75%
64%
56%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Whites Non-whites Income under
$30,000
Income $30,000
to $74,999
Income $75,000+
2015 2016 2017
Percent who worried “a great deal” about drinking water pollution
Non-white, lower-income Americans especially worried
Source: Gallup Poll

11. 2) Flint and drought have impacted public opinion

12. Many think a crisis like Flint could happen to them
Source: May 2017 Nestlé Waters North America poll

13. Californians’ views of water supply: 2009-2017
Source: Public Policy Institute of California
“Would you say that the supply of water is a big problem, somewhat of a problem, or not much of
a problem in your part of California?”
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Dec-09
Apr-10
Aug-10
Dec-10
Apr-11
Aug-11
Dec-11
Apr-12
Aug-12
Dec-12
Apr-13
Aug-13
Dec-13
Apr-14
Aug-14
Dec-14
Apr-15
Aug-15
Dec-15
Apr-16
Aug-16
Dec-16
Apr-17
Big problem
Not much of a
problem

14. Public opinion impacts water conservation efforts
Source: Public Policy Institute of California

15. 3) Water is less partisan than many other issues

16. Strong bipartisan support for water conservation
Source: 2016 Conservation in the West Poll

17. Overwhelming support for fixing water infrastructure
Source: May 2017 Value of Water Campaign poll

18. Bipartisan consensus on reforming flood policies
Source: March 2017 Pew Charitable Trusts poll

19. But climate change evokes strong partisan differences
Source: Sept./Oct. 2017 AP-NORC poll

20. Wide partisan divide over climate change
Source: FM3/POS Sept./Oct. 2017 Water Foundation poll

21. 4) Many favor conservation and see it as their
civic duty

22. Many people see water conservation as a civic duty
Source: San Diego County Water Authority

23. Californians’ views on local water conservation efforts
Source: July 2017 Public Policy Institute of California Poll
“When it comes to water conservation in your part of California, do you think that
your local government is doing too much, the right amount, or not enough?”
6% 8% 8% 5% 7% 4%
52% 52%
43% 52% 50% 57%
38% 35%
43%
39% 39% 35%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
All adults Central
Valley
Inland
Empire
Los Angeles Orange/San
Diego
San
Francisco
Bay Area
Don't
know
Not
enough
The right
amount
Too much

24. 5) Americans are willing to pay to fix their
water infrastructure

25. People may not instantly think of water infrastructure

26. High levels of concern over water infrastructure
Source: 2016 MWH Global water survey

27. Willingness to pay $1/month for infrastructure, clean water
Source: FM3/POS Sept./Oct. 2017 Water Foundation poll

28. 6) Water seen as a good value, but people are
wary of rate increases

29. Most Westerners think their water bills are reasonable
Source: Sept./Oct. 2017 Water Foundation poll

30. Many see water as a good or excellent value
Source: San Diego County Water Authority

31. Customers are wary of water rate increases
Source: San Diego County Water Authority

32. 7) Communications are critical for recycled water

33. Recycled water popular in San Francisco Bay Area
7
11
23
23
26
37
46
50
24
25
35
40
42
38
38
38
32
25
18
17
17
9
7
5
32
31
12
6
10
3
3
2
6
8
11
13
5
12
7
4
0 20 40 60 80 100
Raising water rates
Requiring $5/month "drought fee"
Adding recycled water to drinking water supplies
Building new dams and reservoirs
Implementing mandatory water restrictions
Expanding seawater desalination
Increasing efficiency standards for farms
Expanding the use of recycled water
Strongly favor Somewhat favor Somewhat oppose Strongly oppose Don't know
Percent
Source: April 2015 Bay Area Council Poll
The following are potential strategies for improving California’s drought preparedness.
For each one, please select if you favor or oppose it.

34. Opinion on recycled water depends on intended use
11%
18%
22%
39%
41%
60%
65%
69%
86%
87%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Drinking
Cooking
Bathing
Filling swimming pools
Washing clothes
Watering crops
Watering dairy fields
Watering fruit trees
Flushing toilet
Watering lawn
Source: Iris Hui and Bruce Cain, "Overcoming psychological resistance toward
using recycled water in California," Water and Environment Journal, Aug. 2017.
% willing to use recycled
water in application

35. Messaging is critical to views of recycled water
Source: March 2016 Xylem poll

36. Californians’ views on building desalination plants
“Please say if you favor or oppose the following: building desalination plants on the
California coast.”
56%
67%
33%
26%
11% 7%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
February 2006 July 2017
Don't know
Oppose
Favor
Source: July 2017 Public Policy Institute of California Poll

37. Connect with WaterPolls.org
Mitch Tobin
mitch@seatosnow.com
303-330-9487