Arizona voters remain very concerned about the future of water in the state. A recent poll from Noble Predictive Insights found 59% Arizonans believe the state is running out of water.
"This is what people really want to know, not, ‘is there a water shortage?’ ‘Is there a water problem?’ One thing that people really want to know is just, ‘is there going to be enough water, bottom line?’" said David Byler, chief of research with the polling firm. "Six in 10 people are expressing a very clear worry to us about this."
Of those polled, 23% said the state was not running out of water, and 18% said they weren’t sure.
Democrats were slightly more pessimistic about water than Independents and Republicans, but the majority of voters in all parties expressed fears about the state’s water supply.
Historic drought conditions continue to impact the Colorado River, and Arizona continues to grapple with how to sustainably manage its groundwater supply, but state officials and business leaders typically say the state does have enough water to continue growing. Byler said the poll shows how public perception may be misaligned with expert opinions.
"I think there's a disconnect there between people who have honed expertise and the average person," Byler said. "But I don't blame people for thinking there might be water problems in the middle of the desert."
