Analyzing public opinion on water

WaterPolls.org is your source for  analysis of water-related public opinion. We aggregate, synthesize, visualize, and share data on water-related polls to advance public and policymaker understanding of both problems and solutions.

How to use the site

  1. Search for a poll and related resources.  You can use the search box in the banner or click on links to categories and tags in the sidebar to find specific polls, topics, and places. Our posts include data, analysis, graphics, and other resources that you are free to download and use in your work.
  2. Read our synthesis. We’ve distilled the results from water polls into key findings on our synthesis page, which is updated as new research is released.
  3. Browse, download, and interact with data and visualizations. Check out our data page for a directory of our dashboards and graphics related to water public opinion.
  4. Subscribe to updates with new content. Stay informed of new polls and analysis by subscribing to our email newsletter and RSS feed.
  5. Follow us on Twitter and other social media. We’re at @waterpolling and tweet about new polls and fresh content on the site. You’ll also find us on Facebook and Pinterest.

Funders

WaterPolls.org was supported by the Water Funder Initiative, a collaborative effort to identify and activate promising water solutions through strategic philanthropic investments in the United States, starting in the American West, where the scarcity and reliability of clean water are urgent issues.

The Water Funder Initiative has developed a blueprint for philanthropy to advance sustainable water management. One element of that blueprint focuses on strengthening the water field’s communications capacity and building political will to make our water systems more sustainable.

Understanding public opinion on water issues is an important facet of this work. To that end, the Water Funder Initiative has supported creation of this website as a resource for the field.

The Water Funder Initiative is supported and guided by the the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, Pisces Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Walton Family Foundation. The initiative also receives expert guidance from the Energy Foundation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the Water Foundation.

Although WaterPolls.org is supported by the Water Funder Initiative, this site has editorial independence and any views expressed are not necessarily shared by the Water Funder Initiative or its supporters.

Staff

Mitch Tobin, the editor of WaterPolls.org, is a journalist and communications consultant. Mitch served as communications lead during the Water Funder Initiative’s first phase and helped write the blueprint.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale, Mitch worked for survey researchers at the Urban Institute and while earning a master’s degree in political science from U.C. Berkeley. From 1998 to 2006, Mitch worked as a reporter at the Napa Valley Register, Tucson Citizen, and Arizona Daily Star, covering water and other issues.

Mitch was communications director at California Environmental Associates, where he evaluated water-related grantmaking for foundations. He is now director of The Water Desk, an independent water journalism initiative based at the University of Colorado’s Center for Environmental Journalism. 

Question? Suggestion?

Have a question about WaterPolls.org? Know of a poll we haven’t covered? Please contact us!

WaterPolls.org aggregates, analyzes, and visualizes public opinion data on water-related issues. Stay informed via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, RSS, and email.