The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted people to rethink safety and public health priorities throughout the world. Some that are typically at the forefront of peoples’ minds, like safe drinking water, become even more important as we face a situation that puts everyone at risk. The Value of Water Campaign poll recently conducted confirmed this idea.
In March of this year, American voters responded that infrastructure investment should be a top priority, with 84% of the more than 1,000 people polled responding that they want leadership to invest in water infrastructure. In the five years that the poll has been organized, respondents have consistently responded in this manner, doing so again this year in the face of the current global crisis. According to Dave Metz, partner and president of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz, and Associates (FM3), one of the two groups that conducted the poll, said, “The COVID-19 crisis only sharpened public opinion about the need to keep people safe and healthy. Investments in water infrastructure that benefit public health are seen as critically important in this environment.”[1]
Another significant finding of the poll was that over 70 percent of respondents support water infrastructure investments toward climate change resilience even when the cost of the investment (estimated at more than one trillion dollars) was disclosed. These figures cut across political ideation, gender, age group and income demonstrating that investment in water infrastructure is a priority for all and should be given appropriate budgetary consideration now, before a catastrophic issue arises.
[1] WFM Staff. “Poll: 84 Percent of Americans Want Investment in Water.” Water Finance & Management, 28 Apr. 2020, waterfm.com/poll-84-percent-of-americans-want-investment-in-water/.
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