Public Perceptions of Water Quality in Iowa: Results from the 2015 Statewide Survey. Mary E. Losch, Erin Heiden, Andrew Stephenson & Jill Wittrock

Transcription

1 Public Perceptions of Water Quality in Iowa: Results from the 2015 Statewide Survey Mary E. Losch, Erin Heiden, Andrew Stephenson & Jill Wittrock 1

2 Special Thanks Mitch Avery and our team of talented RAs for significant assistance preparing these slides The hundreds of Iowans who took time to participate and provide thoughtful and important information 2

3 Primary Purpose To help inform a statewide campaign to raise awareness on water quality issues, motivate involvement, and change behaviors in households & communities 3

4 Research design Mixed methods: Qualitative (focus groups): informed the survey development and questionnaire topics Quantitative (statewide survey): included Iowans 18 years of age or older 4

5 Focus Group Methods Four, 90-minute focus groups Two urban and two rural counties Participants: 17 males, 12 females Mean age 57 years 93% White, non-hispanic 45% lived on a farm or small town (<5K) Coded for major themes within and across groups 5

6 Select Quotes General perceptions Knowledge about waterways how necessary it is; thinking back to the flood and being without water for several days and the fact that we take it for granted. I think the farming methods -- we have a lot of [agriculture]-- and that can be good or bad. I think most people in this area are concerned about and they re careful. I guess I don t know what the hell watershed is... There is a small creek but I don t know what it is. It s just the flow, the direction of flow, of the water that comes off the land. 6

7 Select Quotes Attitudes about Public Policy Regarding Water Quality Myself. Everyone, I mean, everyone s responsible from the 10 year old kid to the mega corporations when that water goes down stream and pollutes the [redacted] water system it is not his water and it s not his land, it s everybody s... You have to have some sort of regulations to protect the interest of the public. 7

8 Focus Group Key Themes Associations with the word water focused on drinking water (vs waterways for recreation) Local geography impacts perceptions of water/water quality Urban/rural differences in knowledge/views of agricultural, development, & industrial impacts on water quality 8

9 Focus Group Key Themes (cont d) Causes of poor water quality (in both urban/rural areas) focused on agriculture practices Improving and protecting water quality was viewed as a shared responsibility by most Recent events and experiences with water (e.g. local flooding, boil orders, etc.) influence awareness and salience of water quality 9

10 Focus Group Utility Qualitative findings provided formative information for developing the questionnaire for the statewide study Streams? Crick? Creek? Insight and understanding of technical terms and common use words, such as watershed, and the use of streams versus creeks Helped to identify underlying factors and prioritize focus areas for the larger survey 10

11 Survey Design & Administration Target population: Iowans > 18 yrs Feb. 17, June 18, 2015 (English & Spanish) Average length: 34 mins Dual-frame RDD (both landlines and cell phones) n = 2,080 (384 landline & 1,696 cell phone) AAPOR RR3: 31%; AAPOR CR3: 71% Margin of sampling error: +/-1.2% (full sample) 11

12 Survey Content General views on environment & water quality Understanding water quality & causes of water pollution Participation in recreational activities in/on water Positive/negative environmental behaviors that impact water quality Awareness of strategies for improving water quality Views about responsibility for improving water quality and willingness to pay/invest in water quality improvement 12

13 Perceptions of severity of issues facing Iowa 13

14 Perceptions of water quality in Iowa 14

15 Satisfaction with the quality of water in the city or area where respondent lives Aspects of water contributing to dissatisfaction with water quality Dissatisfied Satisfied 15

16 Perceptions of quality of unfiltered home drinking water from the faucet Concern over safety of tap water 16

17 Perceptions of the quality of lakes, rivers and creeks in Iowa and near their home 17

18 The overall quality of water in Iowa s lakes, rivers, and creeks is In the next 10 years, the quality of lakes, rivers, and creeks in [my] area will 18

19 Self-reported level of knowledge regarding water quality issues 19

20 Uncued responses about sources of water pollution Agricultural runoff (nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer, sediment) 41% Agricultural chemicals / Herbicides / Insecticides 33% Illegal dumping, trash or litter 25% Runoff from livestock waste or manure/ Confined animal feeding operations (CAFO) 20% Urban runoff (storm water)/auto oil and fuel leakage runoff from town and cities 15% Chemicals used on residential lawncare/ Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer 10% Don't know / Not sure 16% 20

21 Perceptions of severity of threat posed to Iowa s water by pollution sources 21

22 Perceptions of possible pollutants affecting waterways in their area (Top 5) 22

23 Perceptions of possible pollutants affecting waterways in their area (Bottom 7) 23

24 Attitudes toward potential threats to water quality Water runoff from livestock operations is a problem in Iowa We need to increase regulations for landowners to protect soil and water Runoff from agricultural crop production is a threat to my drinking water I am concerned about chemicals in my drinking water Not enough attention is given to protect water quality in Iowa Water contamination from runoff over paved areas is a problem 24

25 Attitudes about water quality improvement Clean water is needed for strong economic growth in Iowa I am willing to change some daily behaviors to improve water quality in my area We need to improve lakes, rivers, and creeks for tourism/recreation We need to increase incentives for farmers to protect soil and water I know what steps I should take to prevent contamination of lakes, rivers, and creeks in Iowa 25

26 Attitudes toward policy-related statements about water quality Farmers take undue blame for environmental problems Efforts to keep water clean should be voluntary rather than mandated by the government Tough water protection laws hurt economic development Water pollution laws are too tough in Iowa 26

27 Percent of Iowans who believe it is safe to eat fish caught in Iowa waterways 27

28 Reported types of fertilizer applied to Iowa lawns 28

29 Reported positive behaviors impacting water quality Pick up pet waste Use commercial car wash Utilize hazardous waste drop-off 29

30 Percent of Iowans who recalled seeing, hearing, or reading information about water quality in their area 30

31 Form of information received 31

32 Source of information 32

33 Information sources used for retrieving information about water quality and conservation 33

34 Local conservation board or local watershed board Trustworthiness of sources Scientists/ Researchers Your water company Your local government State government agencies Environmental groups or organizations 34

35 Trustworthiness of sources (PART 2) 35

36 Attribution of responsibility for working to improve water quality 36

37 Perceptions of how well various groups are fulfilling their responsibility to protect water quality 37

38 Reported willingness to pay additional taxes/fees annually to improve water quality in Iowa 83% 59% 37% 27% 23% 13% 12% 11% 10% $10 $25 $50 $75 $100 $125 $150 $175 $200 38

39 Subgroup Analysis Logistic Regression Variables: Gender, Age, Household income, Education, Rural/non-rural, selfreported knowledge of water quality issues, own property near water, fish, swim, boat. Attitudes toward water quality scale - composite score Low vs High Poor quality drinking water Not a problem/a small problem vs Moderate/very big problem Poor quality water in lakes, rivers, & creeks Not a problem/a small problem vs Moderate/very big problem 39

40 Attitudes toward water quality protection & program enhancement Low agreement Younger Iowans (18-34) High agreement Women Lower income (>50K) Residents of towns/cities Those who fish 40

41 Poor quality drinking water Not a Problem/Small problem Younger Iowans (18-34) Rural Residents Lower or mixed levels of self-reported knowledge Moderate/Very big problem Lower income (>50K) 41

42 Poor quality water in lakes, rivers, & creeks Not a Problem/Small problem Younger Iowans (18-34) Rural Residents Lower or mixed levels of self-reported knowledge Moderate/Very big problem Women Older residents (55+) 42

43 24% of respondents reported living or having property near a lake or river in Iowa. Measured using 12 items Place Identity, Emotional attachment, Dependence on the land For example Sense of Place Everything about my lake/river property is a reflection of me. I feel relaxed when I m at my lake/river property. My lake/river property is the best place for doing the things that I enjoy most. 54% High Sense of Place 46% Low Sense of Place 43

44 Sense of Place Logistic Regression *Attitudes toward water quality scale - composite score Low Sense of Place Low agreement High Sense of Place High agreement Poor quality drinking water Poor quality water in lakes, rivers, & creeks 44

45 Conclusions Majority of Iowans are satisfied with water quality in their area Almost 60% rate their (unfiltered) home drinking water as good or excellent About half of Iowans say that the waterways are about the same as 10 years ago about 30% report they are getting worse Agricultural runoff is viewed as the top threat to water quality 80% of Iowans recognize nitrates and phosphates as water pollutants 45

46 Conclusions The majority of Iowans reported using waterways for recreation in the past two years Just over half of Iowans reported having heard/seen information about water quality in their community The majority of Iowans did not report being involved in environmental volunteering focused on water Iowans view improvement of water quality as a shared responsibility A large majority of Iowans indicate a willingness to pay additional taxes/fees to improve water quality 46

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48 Thank you! Questions? Please contact us at or 48