Perceptions of Water Scarcity in the Triangle

Author(s): Jennifer Fitts, Kevin Fritze, Shuai Shao, Angela Vasconcellos, Elise Vergnano and Emily Vuxton

Published: May 2010

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This pilot survey was conducted during the spring of 2010 at the request of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University. The purpose of the survey was to gauge the awareness and perceptions of local elected officials and water managers about water scarcity in the Triangle region of North Carolina. A web-based survey elicited 104 responses, one-fifth of which identified themselves as elected officials, another one-fifth as water managers, and the remainder as staff. The responses indicate that there is widespread awareness of water scarcity issues among the respondent groups, but there are differing opinions between state and local levels about the immediacy of water scarcity concerns. There are also significantly different, and conflicting, opinions over who has and who should have control over water quality, supply, and allocation decisions between the state and local levels. Finally, there is a widespread belief that decision makers at both levels have the tools needed to address scarcity concerns in the future.