public opinion expert dave metz reveals what … at $5,000, silver at $2,500, or bronze at $1,000....
TRANSCRIPT
How much do Americans really know about theirwater and how willing are they to protect it?Public opinion expert Dave Metz shares what
he has learned from years of polling experience.
Dave Metz is one of the nation’s leading experts on public opinionrelated to water and other natural resource issues. Metz, a partnerat Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates, has providedopinion research and strategic guidance to hundreds of non-profits,government agencies, businesses, and political campaigns in all 50states. WaterPolls.org spoke with him recently about polling onwater issues and what the research says about how to communicateabout water challenges and solutions.
Compared to other issues you research, what’s most notableor interesting about polling related to water?
Probably the most striking thing is that it’s a bipartisan issue.With so many issues, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican,you see the world very differently. Water is one issue that reallycuts across those lines. It has a remarkable degree of consistencybetween voters on the left and voters on the right, in terms ofboth how we view some of the challenges as well as potentialpolicy solutions to address them.
Why is it so bipartisan, given that so many issues today arethe opposite?
It has to do with the fundamental importance that water hasfor everyone. We all need clean water to drink. It is vital, andequally so to all Americans, regardless of their partisan back ground.Many voters believe that the single most important thing that govern -ment does is ensure a reliable supply of safe drinking water.
How well does the public understand water issues?
I think they understand it from the perspective of how itimpacts their day-to-day life. They need water to drink and to
serve their household needs. But they don’t really understand theprocess by which water gets to them, how it’s treated, and whereit comes from.
We did a national survey a couple of years ago where we askedpeople to identifythe original sourcefor the water theyuse in their home.We recorded whatthey told usverbatim and wentback and looked upthe correct answer.Nationally, about 25 percent of voters were able to correctlyidentify where their water came from, 50 percent told us they hadno clue, and roughly 25 percent identified a source that wasincorrect. So, the public is not coming to this from a real solidbase of knowledge about where water comes from and what itmeans for their community.
Many polls have shown Americans to be concerned aboutwater. What in particular troubles the public? Pollution?Drought? Cost? Climate Change?
On a day-to-day basis, there isn’t a lot that really troubles them.Americans generally feel like their water quality is pretty good andtheir water supply is reliable. Bodies of water are perceived asrelatively healthy in most cases. But what is urgent for them ismaking sure that it stays that way. The second there’s a hint ofany real threat to water quality or the water supply, they tend tobe very supportive of policies that do something about it.
Among the various things that may move people to be moreconcerned about water, it is water quality, first and foremost, andsupply secondarily, that are the biggest areas of concern. Climatechange is far below either or those – and frankly that is a place
Don’tKnow54%
CorrectAnswer
54%
IncorrectAnswer
54%
Our national surveylast spring showed
that fewer thanone-quarter of voters
could identifywhere their water
comes from.
Continued on Page 2
Public Opinion Expert Dave MetzReveals What Americans Think About Water
By MITCH TOBIN, WaterPolls.org
JUNE, 2017
where there is partisan polarization. Democrats are vastly morelikely to view climate change as a problem or something thatrequires action than Republicans.
Are there significant racial, gender, or other demographicdifferences in how Americans think about water?
Not huge ones. I think the similarities are greater than thedifferences. On this, as on many other issues, women expresshigher levels of concern more often than men do. They tend to bemore risk-sensitive and if there is a potential threat, they’re muchmore likely to want something done about it. Some communitiesof color are more likely to perceive that their water quality isworse than in neighboring communities that are perhaps whiter.But these are exceptions to the general rule that the demographicsimilarities are much greater than the differences.
How big of an effect has the lead poisoning in Flint,Michigan had on national public opinion related to water?
We did a survey in California a couple months ago and askedwhether people had heard anything about Flint and how serious aproblem it was. This is 2,000 miles away and two years after thefact, but almost everybody had heard something about it andviewed it as a serious problem. That’s pretty remarkable: thedurability of concern about a localized problem like that over bothtime and distance. I’m not sure it has produced a dramaticallydifferent set of public positions on the issues, but it certainly hasprovided a focus for why it’s so important to make sure thingsdon’t go wrong.
What about the California drought—and the recent switchto wet weather?
It certainly had an effect on the urgency with which peopleview the issue. A year-and-a-half ago, the drought was the numberone concern on Californians’ minds by far. Now, water issueshave fallen back to mid-tier. When we ask Californians whetherthe end of the drought means our water supplies are sufficient, orwhether we still face an ongoing shortage that means we’re goingto need to take steps to address our long-term water supply, theychoose the latter. They’ve been in and out of enough droughts, ifthey’ve lived in California for any period of time. They knowanother drought will come along and that the population is notshrinking, but growing—and our infrastructure isn’t getting anystronger. So, all of that leads them to believe, at least in theabstract, that we can’t relax our vigilance and we still need toaddress the issue.
Whom do people trust on water issues? Farmers? Utilities?Government? Scientists? NGOs?
A little bit of all of the above. Probably the best messengerwe’ve found over time is water quality scientists: people whohave neutral expertise on the issue and are totally non-ideologicalin recommending a certain action.
Farmers are also very high on the list. I remember doing focusgroups where people told us we can trust farmers, they would
never waste a drop of water because it’s too vital to their way oflife and livelihood – not recognizing that, as in most sectors, therecan be an enormous waste of water in agriculture. But farmers areseen as very credible messengers on the issue. Native Americantribes also sometimes score very high. Public agencies that arespecifically tasked with managing water resources actually tend topoll very well.
This is an edited version of the interview. The original article can be found in full onthe WaterPolls.org website.
About the Author: Mitch Tobin
Mitch Tobin, the editor of WaterPolls.org, is a communications consultant andmultimedia journalist. After working as a reporter at the Napa Valley Register,Tucson Citizen, and Arizona Daily Star, Mitch was communications director atCalifornia Environmental Associates, where he conducted grantmaking evaluationsand policy analysis of water and other issues. In 2014, Mitch started Sea to SnowLLC to provide consulting services to a variety of clients. Mitch graduated fromYale with a bachelor’s degree in Ethics, Politics and Economics and earned amaster’s degree in political science from U.C. Berkeley.
Polling Reveals Publics Concerns About Water, InfrastructureContinued from Page 1
Save the Date:
24th Clarke Prize & ConferenceIrvine Marriott Hotel • October 19-20
The 2017 Clarke Prize Award Ceremony and Conference willbe held October 19-20 at the Irvine Marriott Hotel.The Clarke Prize recognizes an outstandingindividual who has implemented exceptional waterscience research and/or policy development tosolve real-world water challenges. The conferencewill feature presentations from past Clarke PrizeLaureates, representatives from water and waste waterutilities, and other well-known professionals in the waterindustry. In addition, the conference will showcase a mix ofinnovative academic research by leading experts complementedby practical case studies of problems facing industry practi -tioners. More information is available at www.clarkeprize.com.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available at three levels –Gold at $5,000, Silver at $2,500, or Bronze at $1,000.
For more details about becoming a conference sponsor, pleasevisit www.clarkeprize.com/sponsors.html or email Eileen Chao [email protected].
AES Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Darik WaltonAmerican Geotechnical, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . Sherie DunbarArcadis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim CathcartBingham and Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark DelancellottiBowie, Arneson, Wiles & Giannone . . .
Joan Arneson & Jeff HoskinsonBush and Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David BushCab Engineers, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cory BerschCiviltec Engineering, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . W. David ByrumCLA-VAL Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monte RobertsClow Valve Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nolan ForanDUDEK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank DudekDUDEK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bob OhlundFord Meter Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blake KiddGeneral Pump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael BodartGeocon West, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff HullGladding McBean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe ParkerGuida Surveying, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ralph GuidaHDR Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve FriedmanJCM Industries/Tripac . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bill Foster, Sr.Kato Landscaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Randy KatoMainline Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jon ChristyM & H Valve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt ArmstrongMISCO Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom RobersonNational Meter and Automation . . . . . . C. Robert SearsNeptune Technology Group . . . . . . . . . . . Andy BohnNorth American Pipe Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave ValdezPACE Advanced Water Engineering . . . Andrew KomorPaulus Engineering, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason PaulusPenco Engineering, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff CooperPsomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike SwanRichard Slade & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard SladeSkanska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve AgorStantec. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert ReidTE Roberts, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tim RobertsTetra Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark BushTRIPAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bill Foster, Sr.
Anew process for water filtration using carbon dioxide consumes onethousand times less energy than conventional methods, scientific
research published recently has shown.This new method which uses CO2 could be applied in a variety of
industries such as mining, food and beverage production, pharma ceuticalmanufacturing and water treatment.
The research, published in open-access scientific journal NatureCommunications, indicates that the new process could be easily scaled up,“suggesting the technique could be particularly beneficial in both thedeveloping and developed worlds.” The new method could also be used toremove bacteria and viruses without chlorination or ultraviolet treatment.
Currently, water filtration technologies such as microfiltration orultrafiltration use porous membranes to remove suspended particlesand solutes. These processes trap and remove suspended particles, suchas fine silt, by forcing the suspension through a porous material withgaps that are smaller than the particles. Energy must be wasted to over -come the friction of pushing the water through these small passages.These kinds of filtration processes have drawbacks such as high pump -ing costs and a need for periodic replacement of the membranes due tofouling. The research by Drs Shardt and Shin demonstrates an alter -native membraneless method for separating suspended particles thatworks by exposing the colloidal suspension to CO2.
The paper is authored by Sangwoo Shin, Orest Shardt, Patrick BWarren and Howard A Stone. It was published online on May 2, 2017.
To read the research paper, published in Nature Communications,visit: www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15181
New Research Could TransformHow Water is Filtrated
Water Filtration with CO2 uses 1,000 Times Less Energy
There is still space available for golfers in thetournament, and opportunities remain for those who wishto participate as a Sponsor. To learn more, visit the OCWA
Golf Tournament webpage, or email Michael Sinacori,Tournament Chairman, at [email protected]
38th AnnualGolf Tournament
June 19, 2017
CorporateSponsors
The following companiesjoined with OCWA
to sponsor this year’sGolf Tournament.
Water Planet Honored as BreakthroughWater Technology Company of the Year
Water Planet, a California-based company that markets the world’sfirst smart membrane products, has received the 2017 Global
Water Award as Breakthrough Water Technology Company of the Year.Presented at the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid, the award honors theearly-stage company that made the most impressive commercial
breakthrough into theglobal water technologymarket during 2016.
Since 2011, Water Planet has developed and successfully brought tomarket two breakthrough products: IntelliFlux,® the industry’s firstartificial-intelligence based self-adaptive flux optimization controlsoftware, and PolyCera,® a revolutionary, Nobel Prize-winning polymertechnology, which enables production of a new class of hydrophilic,robust and easy to clean filtration membranes.
In 2016, Water Planet achieved the commercial launch and first salesof PolyCera-based ultrafiltration membranes in the US, Canada, China andIndia. In addition, Water Planet closed its initial US sale of two IntelliFlux-powered ultrafiltration systems as the first part of a multi-year, multi-unitcontract with a leading oilfield service company in Canada. By 2019,through these first two strategic agreements, Water Planet’s break-throughultrafiltration products will be cleaning up over 2 billion gallons ofwastewater annually.
Based on feedback from participants and the record breaking turnout, this year’s SafetyFest was a resounding success!
Over 105 water and wastewater utility staff met at the City of Santa Ana Public Works Yard for a day of networking
and learning.
More than 6 Safety Contact Hours were available to those who attended the six state-approved trainings
held throughout the day; presentations included: Dig Alert Regulations & Updates by Amber Dahl with
DigAlert; Evil Done: Individual Target Assessment provided by Keith Jones with Suez Water Advanced
Solutions; Physical Wellness by Dr. Steven Peters and staff with Peters Chiropractic; Cyber Safety by
Alberto Martinez and Cecily Garcia with Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center (OCIAC); and
Silica Safety by Peter Kuchinsky with ACWA JPIA.
At the end of the day everyone walked away with
new tools and resources they can use to protect
themselves and the communities they serve; as well
as a greater appreciation for their
roles as “shepherds” of public health
and safety.
Instrumental in helping pull this
all together was KELLY HUBBARD,
MWDOC, who organized and
orchestrated the whole day and helped
the program run so smoothly
Also, special thanks goes to Nabil
Saba (Water Resources Manager) and
the Staff at City of Santa Ana for all the
signage, the setup of the room, and the cleanup
afterwards. Our event owes its success in large
measure to their support.
In addition, the following people and
organizations earned our gratitude for the help
they provided coordinating the many facets of
the day’s events: Bobby Young, Board Member,
OCWA, for overseeing the activities, John
Robinson, Treasurer, OCWA, for registration,
Neil Harper, President, OCWA, for the Kickoff
and Introductions, Francisco Soto, MWDOC for
CEUs, and So Cal Burgers for catering.
Thank you to everyone who attended and
participated in the Tenth Annual OCWA
SafetyFest. See you next year!
10thANNUAL OCWASAFETYFEST
WATER SERVICES MANAGER
The City of Garden Grove is seeking a highly experienced andmotivated WATER SERVICES MANAGER.
The Water Services Manager oversees the functions of theWater Services Division, which includes over 60 employeesthroughout the Water Resources, Engineering, Quality, Production,Distribution, and Sanitation units. Under general direction fromthe Public Works Director, this position plans, organizes, andsupervises the operations and maintenance of the Water Divisionthat maintains the City’s wells, reservoirs, water connections andsewer facilities.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Four (4) years of increasinglyresponsible experience in utility systems planning, operation andmaintenance, including sewer collection system experience, andtwo (2) years of responsible supervisory experience. Bachelor'sdegree in civil engineering, business administration, or a relatedfield from an accredited university or college. Possession of validGrade 4 Water Distribution (D4) and valid Grade 3 WaterTreatment (T3) certificates are required.
SALARY & BENEFITS: $108,036.00 - $144,780.00Annually. Classic 2.5%@55 CalPERS retirement, 9/80 workschedule, 14 paid holidays & 40 hours admin leave, andmedical, dental and vision benefits.
HOW TO APPLY:Visit www.ci.garden-grove.ca.us/hr for more information
and to submit an application.
Filing Deadline: Thursday, July 6, 2017, 5:00 p.m.
CITY OF GARDEN GROVE
POS I T ION AVA I LABLE
Mike Markus, OCWD GM, Recognizedfor Innovative & Pioneering Work in
Sustainable Groundwater ManagementOCWD General Manager Mike Markus was recently presented with
the Environmental & Water Resources Institute (EWRI) Pioneers inGroundwater Award.
The Pioneers in Groundwater Award recognizes and honors anindividual with pioneering contributions in the teaching, research and/orpractice of groundwater science and engineering. Only one award isgiven per year by EWRI, which was created in 1999 to serve as therecognized leader within the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)for the integration of technical expertise and public policy in theplanning, design, construction, and operation of environmentally soundand sustainable infrastructure impacting air, land and water resources.
“This award is a testament to the innovative work of the entireOCWD staff and board,” said Mike Markus. “Decades of sound planningand investment have put us at the forefront of groundwater managementand water reuse. We are committed to high standards for water reliabilityand I look forward to continuing to lead OCWD on the path to creating asustainable water supply for generations to come,” he added.
S Workshop #4: DPR Risk Reduction and Critical Control PointMonitoring for Public Health.
S Workshop #5: Acceptance of Potable Reuse Projects – What We’veLearned So Far.
Conference Tours: Southern California is home to a largenumber of innovative water reuse projects, and this conferenceprovides an opportunity to tour them. Details about the fourscheduled tours is available on the Conference webpage.
Get Involved/Opportunities to Participate: Put your organi za tion’sname in front of the 500+ conference attendees by becoming asponsor or exhibitor. Sponsors will be recognized throughout theconference and in the program. Exhibitors will be strategically placedin the exhibition center where network breaks will be held.
Please visit the IWA Reuse 2017 website for more information aboutsponsoring and exhibiting. The application deadline for sponsorsand exhibitors is June 26, 2017.
To register for the Conference, visit the IWA Reuse 2017website (http://iwareuse2017.org).
The Eleventh Annual IWA International Conference on WaterReclamation and Reuse is set for July 23-27 in Long Beach. This
event, jointly hosted by the National Water Research Institute (NWRI),Water Environment & Reuse Foundation, and WateReuse California,will provide a unique opportunity for experts from around the worldto share knowledge on a range of topics addressing water reusepolicy and regulations, technology, public engagement, and more.
The program will focus on the latest advancements in water reusepractices and projects, and will feature:S Plenary sessions with world-renowned water reuse experts.S Over 160 oral presentations. S Over 100 posters.S Tours of water reuse projects in Southern California.
Plenary Sessions: World leaders in advancing water reuse will speakduring the daily plenary sessions, including:S Takashi Asano, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, UC DavisS Jeff Kightlinger, General Manager, MWDSCS Jörg E. Drewes, Dr.-Ing., Chair, Urban Water Systems Engineering
at the Technical University of Munich (Germany)
Technical Program: The technical program addresses a wide rangeof water reuse topics, including:S Indirect and direct potable reuse.S Nonpotable applications including agriculture irrigation and
industrial reuse.S Potable reuse design and operations.S Groundwater recharge planning and operations.S Water quality including constituents of emerging concern and
disinfection by-projects.S Wastewater treatment topics for water reuse.S Advanced treatment technologies for control of chemicals and
pathogens.S Ozone and biofiltration for water reuse applications.S Novel advanced treatment technologies.S Water reuse as sustainable supply and integrated planning.
Pre-Conference Workshops: The five pre-conference workshopsinclude:S Workshop #1: Moving Towards Safe Water Reuse for Food Crop
Irrigation: A Sustainable Solution in an Era of Climate Variability. S Workshop #2: Antibiotic Resistance: What Every Water
Professional Needs to Know. S Workshop #3: Successful Strategies for Sustainable Industrial
Water Reuse.
Water Reuse Experts to Speak at IWA 2017
July Luncheon Topic
Pilot-Scale Evaluation of the Closed-Circuit DesalinationProcess for Minimizing RO Concentrate Disposal Volume
project. This presentation will discuss some of theresearch conducted by the Districts aimed at mini -miz ing RO concentrate disposal volume. Specifically,results from pilot-scale testing of a new and innovateRO process (Closed-Circuit Desalination) will bediscussed.
About Our SpeakerBruce Mansell is a Senior Engineer with the Los
Angeles County Sanitation Districts’ WastewaterResearch Section.
Bruce holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Cal PolyPomona, a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineeringfrom UC Davis, and is a California Licensed CivilEngineer.
Presenter:
Bruce MansellSenior Engineer, Los Angeles County Sanitation District's
Wastewater Research Section
The Sanitation Districts of LosAngeles County operate theValencia and Saugus WRPs, whichare located in the Santa ClaritaValley approximately 30 milesnorth of downtown Los Angeles.These plants provide tertiarytreatment and produce highquality effluent suitablefor reuse.However, most of the effluent is
currently discharged to the Santa Clara River, whichsupports aquatic species and habitat and recharges theunderlying groundwater basin that serves as a watersupply. To protect salt sensitive strawberry and avocado cropsgrown within the watershed, the Los Angeles Regional WaterQuality Control Board adopted a chloride TMDL, which imposesa discharge limit of 100 mg/L on the effluent from both WRPs.
To comply with the chlorideTMDL, the Districts willconstruct an advanced watertreatment facility at theValencia WRP. The facility willtreat a sidestream of tertiaryeffluent with RO membranes. Product water will beblended with the remaining tertiary effluent prior to riverdischarge to meet the chloride TMDL.
Due to the inland location of the Valencia WRP, disposalof RO concentrate represents a significant challenge to the
Saugus WRP
Valencia WRP
Wednesday, July 19, 2017Dave & Buster’s Restaurant S Irvine Spectrum Entertainment Center
11:30 am: Registration S 12:00 – 1:30: Lunch & Presentation
OCWA Members with Reservations . . . . . . $30OCWA Members without Reservations. . . $40
Non-Members with Reservations . . . . . . . . . $40Non-Members without Reservations . . . . . $40
Reservations must be made by Noon, Tuesday, July 18, to qualify for the Reservation Rate.Cancellations received AFTER this date CANNOT be refunded.
To make reservations, please go to the OCWA website: www.ocwater.org
For more information, contact Leticia Villarreal at (714) 378-3203Please identify yourself by name and membership number.
RSVP IS A FINANCIAL COMMITMENT. NO-SHOWS WILL BE BILLED
Key Contacts
MembershipRyan Gallagher(805) 298-3380
Legal CounselJeff A. Hoskinson
(949) 851-1300, [email protected]
Luncheon InfoLeticia Villarreal(714) 378-3203
ProgrammingRyan Gallagher(805) 298-3380
OCWA’s Board of Directorsmeets on the third Wednesday
of each month,unless notified otherwise.
The next meeting isscheduled for:
July 19, 201710:30 am to Noon
Dave & Buster’s RestaurantIrvine Spectrum
Entertainment Center
✦ ✦ ✦
Unless otherwise noted, all articles in thisnewsletter reflect the views or opinions of theauthors and not the official opinion of OCWA,
its membership or Board of Directors.All Advertisements contained in the newsletter
are subject to the OCWA Advertising Policy.The OCWA Advertising Policy is available
on request from the Association.
Board of Directors
PresidentNeil Harper
(949) [email protected]
Vice PresidentRoni Young
(949) [email protected]
SecretaryGregorio Estrada(714) 730-2391
TreasurerJohn Robinson(626) 375-9389
DirectorsMichael Sinacori(949) 644-3342
Ryan Gallagher(805) 298-3380
Bobby Young(949) [email protected]
Ex-OfficioJason Dadakis(714) 378-3364
Education & CompetitionNeil Harper
(949) [email protected]
Golf TournamentMichael Sinacori
(949) [email protected]
Public OutreachRoni Young
(949) [email protected]
Newsletter & WebmasterTim Hogan
(714) [email protected]