What do Americans think about their water?
In its 2017 survey, Gallup found that 63 percent of Americans worry a “great deal” about pollution of drinking water, and another 22 percent worry a “fair amount,” as shown in the figure below.
In both 2016 and 2017, the Conservation in the West Poll from Colorado College’s State of the Rockies Project has found that 51 percent of people in seven Mountain West states believe “low levels of water in rivers” is a very or extremely serious problem.
Water-related problems top climate change concerns Climate change is already manifesting through an amped-up hydrological cycle that is delivering deeper droughts and more extreme floods.
In the United States, there were some regional differences in concerns about climate change.
Nationally, 50 percent of Americans said drought was their top worry.
The figure below, based on 2016 data, shows water pollution is the top environmental concern among both Democrats and Republicans.
In July 2014, the Water Foundation asked a bipartisan team of pollsters to analyze Californians’ views on groundwater.
Non-white and lower-income Americans are especially worried about water Worries about water pollution are widespread in the United States, but surveys show that non-white and lower-income Americans are particularly concerned.
When asked if their community should be spending more on water infrastructure, 68 percent of those surveyed in 2016 said yes.