More than two-thirds of northwest Arkansas residents consider protecting water quality a high priority, according to a survey conducted by the Northwest Arkansas Council.
The council conducted the survey from Feb. 15 through March 25 to provide insight for its Infrastructure Work Group. The council wants the group to work with the region’s businesses and municipalities to help direct funding from the region’s portion of the $1 trillion federal infrastructure bill recently passed.
“The region’s rapid growth makes it critical for the council to work to ensure that we’re doing everything possible as we pursue federal grants,” Council CEO Nelson Peacock said. “The survey confirmed many things we believed to be true but also provided some surprising insights.”
More than 4,000 people participated in the survey. When asked their top priority for the region, more than 42% said water quality was their top priority and 24.5% said it was their second.
Other high-ranking issues according to the survey were building more highways, which was ranked as the top priority by 26.8% of respondents and second priority by 15.3%, and recycling, which was ranked first by 7.1% and second by 22%.
When asked if they were willing to pay more for their drinking water if the additional fees would go to protect the area’s lakes and rivers, 65% said they would.
More than 80% of respondents said expanding public transportation was an important issue to keep pace with the growing population in northwest Arkansas. Slightly less than 50% of respondents said they would support the passage of a new sales tax for more buses and routes.
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