In a joint effort to better understand and respond to consumer knowledge about water and wastewater topics, water and wastewater agencies from around metropolitan Washington launched a survey that asks residents a number of water-related questions, such as how they use water, what they think of tap water safety, and how they dispose of certain kinds of waste.

The research effort is being conducted by a water resources planning committee of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and will be used to inform how water and wastewater utilities communicate about certain key topics and help the group measure success over time.

Protect Your Pipes ad by COG's Community Engagement Campaign.

“Having clean, reliable water supplies is critical to the health of our region. Our water utilities need to know what people think about their water supplies. We encourage people across metropolitan Washington to take a few minutes to complete this survey so our water utilities can know how to better serve their customers,” said COG Environmental Programs Director Steve Walz.

More than 15 COG member agencies will release the survey to their customers or constituents through their website, email, and social media channels. Participation is anonymous, though participants who provide an email address will be entered to win a $100 gift card. The survey is open until May 17 and results will be shared by June.

MORE: Metropolitan Washington Drinking Water and Wastewater Use Survey