October 26, 2001
Report & Analysis · Other Poll Releases
ATHENS, Ga. — More than 75 percent of Georgians believe that government spending to clean state lakes and rivers should be increased, according to the first released results from the new Peach State Poll. Georgians’ attitudes about the quality and future of their drinking supply is the subject of the initial nonpartisan survey of Georgia public opinion conducted quarterly by the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
The Poll shows that there is a need for public education on sources of water pollution. While about half of all water pollution today results from runoff from roads, lawns and farmland, the public does not see runoff as a major source of pollution. Instead, the public sees water pollution mainly as a result of discharges from industrial facilities and sewage treatment plants, which the government has focused on reducing.
Other survey results:
• Given a list of environmental problems, 31 percent of Georgians selected water pollution as their top concern, second only to air pollution. (Atlantans showed the most concern about air pollution, while those living outside Atlanta cited water pollution.)
• Georgians also believe that the quality of their drinking water is “good” (40 percent) but that it could be better. Almost one-half of the population (47 percent) believes that the government is too lenient with regard to the regulation of sources of water pollution. Even Georgians who rated their own water as “excellent” believe that regulations are too lenient.
• Overall, 70 percent of the population claims to have changed their patterns of water use “a lot” (37 percent) or “some” (33 percent) during the drought, with women more likely than men to claim a change in behavior.
• Georgians are not optimistic about the quality of their drinking water improving in the near future. About only one in four state residents (26 percent) expect their water quality to improve in the next 20 years. Those who rate their water quality as “fair” or “poor” are far more likely to expect the quality of their water to get worse rather than better.
The first Peach State Poll was conducted during the month of September and included 802 telephone interviews of randomly selected adults in Georgia. For a sample of this size, the margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level is +/- 3.5%.
