Drinking Water

Understanding How the Public Perceives Water Protections

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People worry more about water pollution than inflation

Source: �Seven Key Gallup Findings About the Environment

Government overreach is a fairly niche concern:

• 50% think the U.S. government is doing too little to protect the environment
• Only 19% think it is doing too much

Americans Strongly Support A Strong Clean Water Act

After a brief description of the issue:

• 75% of adults support protecting more waters and wetlands under the Clean Water Act.
• 88% of adults would be concerned if the permit requirement to make a permanent physical change to a water body was removed in some cases.

Most convincing argument:

• “Strong federal water protections help to ensure that everyone - no matter which state they live in or their zip code - has access to clean water. Where you live should not determine whether you can access clean and safe water.”

3

Source:

2022 Morning Consult poll

2023 Morning Consult poll

“The Clean Water Act has protected our nation’s streams and wetlands for decades. Two years ago, the Supreme Court revoked these protections for many waters, putting the rivers and lakes that supply our drinking water at risk, harming fish and wildlife, and increasing the risk of floods.”

• People care about water very much but they do not care much at all about water policy.
• Focus on what is at stake & what should happen next
• People can understand where we are now without understanding the minutiae of prior cases or rulemakings
• Avoid acronyms and jargon: WOTUS • significant nexus • SWANCC • migratory bird rule • the Clean Water Rule • Navigable Waters Protection Rule • jurisdictional determination • Rapanos

Don’t Get Bogged Down In the Reeds

Source: Water Messages That Mobilize

Drinking Water, Wildlife, Way of Life

People care about:

• Clean sources of drinking water
• Water bodies that are part of the local “way of life” or “quality of life”
• Public health – physical and mental
• Wildlife
• Future generations – “children and grandchildren” �

People need hope to take action. Don’t:

• Lean into doom & gloom
• Lean heavily into how polluted or damaged these waters may already be
• Make it all about climate change

Source: 2023 Language of Conservation Memo

May 2023 Media Headlines

most ‘elite’ media outlets covered the decision

very little local coverage of any kind

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Click the headlines to read the full articles

Fox buried the lede because everyone likes clean water