In its third year, COG’s Annual Drinking Water and Wastewater Survey continues to help area water and wastewater utilities understand and respond to residents’ awareness about their water.

COG’s Community Engagement Campaign (CEC), a group of 13 water and wastewater utilities and jurisdictions who collaborate on regionwide water communication, conducted the survey. Over the last year, the group has collaborated on joint regional messaging campaigns via social media to promote a video series showcasing important jobs, water quality practices, and infrastructure projects that are keeping the metropolitan Washington region's drinking water and waterways safe and clean.

Survey results showed that those who have the strongest regard for their water services also have the strongest concern for water infrastructure.  Results also showed that residents are growing more uncertain about the condition of water infrastructure, similar to the results seen in a national Value of Water Campaign survey.

Over half of all respondents (55 percent) reported that they drink tap water most of the time. For the third year straight, African Americans reported being most skeptical about drinking tap water, and African Americans and Hispanics reported higher bottled water consumption.

Fifty-six percent of respondents said they “don’t know” the source of their drinking water and another ten percent thought their source of drinking water was the Chesapeake Bay.

Continued education and outreach will be needed to ensure residents’ help in protecting the region’s water supply and infrastructure. For example, winter salts were perceived by respondents to be the least harmful type of stormwater runoff but high levels of salt in freshwater rivers and streams can actually be very harmful to both human health and aquatic life. Flushable wipes, tissues, and dental floss were perceived by respondents as being somewhat “safe to flush” but are in fact common culprits of costly clogs and damage to wastewater infrastructure.

As in past years, the survey provided the CEC with data that will help the group set priorities for how and what it communicates with consumers in the future. Reinforcing this mission is a survey finding that residents trust their utilities for information about water more than other organizations.

MORE: Drinking Water and Wastewater Survey Responses