More than 9 in 10 voters (93%) believe fixing America’s outdated and unsafe drinking water systems should be a top priority for President Biden’s economic recovery plan, according to our new national poll.
The American Rescue Plan, passed earlier this month, is sending billions to Tribes, cities, and states to fund critical drinking and wastewater upgrades and provide lower-income families help paying their water bills. More is needed and attention is focusing on a much-anticipated federal infrastructure package that could, alongside other priorities, increase spending to fix aging water systems and close the access gap to safe, affordable water.
To inform the federal infrastructure conversation, we partnered with Climate Nexus Polling, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, and the George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication on a national poll to better understand voter opinions on water threats and solutions.
The findings:
- Voters want protections against water shutoffs. More than 3 in 4 voters (77% ) support pausing water shutoffs for families behind on their water bills during the pandemic.
- Voters believe increased federal spending on water infrastructure will be good for public health, the environment, and jobs in the U.S.
- 78% of voters across the country support increasing federal spending on water infrastructure. Water infrastructure investments are popular with a majority of voters, regardless of political party affiliation.
- Roughly two-thirds of U.S. voters believe in an equitable approach to infrastructure investments. 65% of voters say the government should prioritize communities with the greatest need, including those currently living with unsafe water, rather than distributing funds equally to all communities (35%).
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