Public Actions Taken To Address Water Quality
And Quantity Issues In The Northwestern USA
Since 2002
Author(s)
R. L. Mahler & M. E. Barber
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to document voluntary actions the general public has
taken to address water quality and quantity concerns in the northwestern USA
over the last 10 years. These actions have been attributed primarily to
educational outreach efforts targeted at the general public by the five land grant
universities in the region. Data were collected using mail-based surveys
conducted at five-year intervals in 2002, 2007 and 2012. Each survey contained
between 45 and 60 questions and was mailed to 2,200 randomly chosen residents
of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Return rates in excess of 50% were
received for each survey ensuring that the results are statistically valid. The 2002
survey results were used as base line data. More than 85% of the region’s adults
have made lifestyle changes to address water quantity issues. For instance, 70%
have installed at least one water-saving appliance in their home, 49% report that
they have reduced water use in their yards, 64% have reduced water use in their
home, and 32% have reduced the amount of water used washing their cars.
Conversely, only 13% have not made voluntary changes to address the amount
of water used. Almost 82% of adults have acted to improve water quality.
Voluntary water quality actions taken include: changed the disposal of household
wastes (60%), reduced the use of fertilizers and pesticides in yards (46%), and
changed the disposal of used motor oil (65%). Less than 19% of adults have not
voluntarily addressed water quality issues in their homes. This study
demonstrates that public education used to cause positive voluntary actions is
very effective and may work better than the regulatory approach in this region of
the USA.
Keywords: public opinion, public actions, voluntary actions, water quality, water
quantity, positive life-style change.
Keywords
Keywords: public opinion, public actions, voluntary actions, water quality, waterquantity, positive life-style change.
Related Book
Other papers in this volume
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