Water Issues - Public Opinion About Water Issues

In March 2004 the Gallup Organization conducted its annual poll on environmental topics. As shown in Figure 1.8 in Chapter 1 the pollsters found that water issues top the list of Americans' environmental concerns. The percentage of people expressing a great deal of worry about a particular environmental problem was highest for pollution of drinking water. More than half of those asked (53 percent) indicated they feel a great deal of concern about it. Pollution of surface waters ranked second with 48 percent.

TABLE 6.6
Public concern about pollution of drinking water, 2004

	Great deal %	Fair amount %	Only a little %	Not at all %	No opinion %
2004 Mar 8-11	53	24	17	6	*
2003 Mar 3-5	54	25	15	6	-
2002 Mar 4-7	57	25	13	5	*
2001 Mar 5-7	64	24	9	3	*
2000 Apr 3-9	72	20	6	2	*
1999 Apr 13-14	68	22	7	3	*
1991 Apr 11-14	67	19	10	3	1
1990 Apr 5-8	65	22	9	4	*
SOURCE: "Please tell me if you personally worry about this problem a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or not at all. Pollution of drinking water?," in Poll Topics and Trends: Environment, The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ, March 17, 2004 [Online] www.gallup.com [accessed March 30, 2004]

Maintenance of the nation's fresh water supply for household needs ranked fourth with 47 percent. Gallup concluded that Americans are significantly more worried about water issues than other environmental issues, such as air pollution or plant and animal resources.

As shown in Table 6.6, concern about drinking water was down in 2004 compared to all previous years. In 1990 nearly two-thirds of the people asked expressed a great deal of worry about drinking water pollution. The percentage increased to 72 percent in 2000 and then decreased in each subsequent year. Concern about surface water pollution also shows a downward trend over the years. (See Table 6.7.) The percentage of people expressing a great deal of concern about this issue in 1989 was at a high of 72 percent. In 2004 only 48 percent of those asked expressed this opinion.

When asked about fresh water supplies for household needs, Gallup poll respondents have indicated varying levels of concern over the years. Table 6.8 shows that the percentage of people feeling a great deal of concern about this issue increased from 42 percent in 2000 to 50 percent in 2002 and then decreased to 47 percent in 2004.

TABLE 6.7
Public concern about pollution of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, 2004

	Great deal %	Fair amount %	Only a little %	Not at all %	No opinion %
2004 Mar 8–11	48	31	16	5	*
2003 Mar 3–5	51	31	13	5	-
2002 Mar 4–7	53	32	12	3	*
2001 Mar 5–7	58	29	10	3	*
2000 Apr 3–9	66	24	8	2	*
1999 Apr 13–14	61	30	7	2	*
1999 Mar 12–14	55	30	12	3	*
1991 Apr 11–14	67	21	8	3	1
1990 Apr 5–8	64	23	9	4	-
1989 May 4–7	72	19	5	3	1
SOURCE: "Please tell me if you personally worry about this problem a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or not at all. Pollution of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs?," in Poll Topics and Trends: Environment, The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ, March 17, 2004 [Online] www.gallup.com [accessed March 30, 2004]

TABLE 6.8
Public concern about maintenance of the nation's supply of fresh water for household needs, 2004
PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU PERSONALLY WORRY ABOUT THIS PROBLEM A GREAT DEAL, DEAL, A FAIR AMOUNT, ONLY A LITTLE, OR NOT AT ALL. MAINTENANCE OF THE NATION'S SUPPLY OF FRESH WATER FOR HOUSEHOLD NEEDS?

	Great deal %	Fair amount %	Only a little %	Not at all %	No opinion %
2004 Mar 8–11	47	25	20	8	*
2003 Mar 3–5	49	28	15	8	*
2002 Mar 4–7	50	28	17	5	*
2001 Mar 5–7	35	34	19	10	2
2000 Apr 3–9	42	31	14	12	1
SOURCE: "Please tell me if you personally worry about this problem a great deal, a fair amount, only a little, or not at all. Maintenance of the nation's supply of fresh water for household needs?," in Poll Topics and Trends: Environment, The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ, March 17, 2004 [Online] www.gallup.com [accessed March 30, 2004]