Water is vital to all living beings, but how much is it valued in the U.S.?  Historically, the U.S. has not invested sufficiently in infrastructure to guarantee its resilience and availability for all; federal spending over the years has decreased while the needs have increased.  Menacing headlines of drought, water restrictions, and contamination, have convinced large segments of the country of its vulnerability.  The Value of Water Campaign strives to educate the public about the essential nature of water and the magnitude of the need for investment.  For the eighth year, the Campaign polled 1,000 voters to understand opinions regarding water-related issues, and how those issues rank when compared to other national issues.

Out of ten options, ensuring a reliable water supply was the highest ranking issue, with 85 percent ranking it extremely or very important.  Strengthening the economy also came in with 85 percent of respondents ranking it extremely or very important, although reliable water supply received more extremely important ratings, putting it slightly ahead.  Reducing inflation came in third at 84 percent and addressing water contamination came in fourth at 82 percent, respondents finding both issues extremely or very important.  All four issues exceeded both crime and the opioid crisis in perceived importance.[1]

The poll also revealed the following:

• Voters’ opinions of local water infrastructure dropped from 86 percent ranking it “good” in 2016 to only 71 percent in 2023.
• Voters’ opinions of national water infrastructure dropped from 59 percent ranking it “good” in 2016 to only 40 percent in 2023.
• Voters demonstrated decreased familiarity with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with 48 percent of respondents familiar with the law in 2022 and 42 percent in 2023.  Voter approval of the law increased slightly from 75 percent last year to 77 percent this year. [2]

The Value of Water Campaign provides a communications “toolkit” for individuals and organizations to use to build support for the prioritization of water infrastructure.  Sponsored by water agencies, leaders in the business community, and local and national organizations, the Value of Water Campaign works to bring awareness to a problem that is often overlooked. Infrastructure typically lies beneath our feet, out of sight and out of mind, and significant financial commitment from all levels of government will be necessary to counter the nation’s long-term neglect.

[1] Value of Water Campaign. “2023 Value of Water Index.” Valueofwater.Org, 2023, thevalueofwater.org/sites/default/files/Value%20of%20Water%20Index%202023%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf.

[2] Value of Water Campaign. “2023 Value of Water Index.” Valueofwater.Org, 2023, thevalueofwater.org/sites/default/files/Value%20of%20Water%20Index%202023%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf.