Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
Floridians overwhelmingly support increased water quality and quantity standards, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
The survey, commissioned by Associated Industries of Florida’s H2O Coalition, found 82 percent of respondents said they support a plan that creates new standards for Florida’s water policy and efforts to improve water quality.
State lawmakers are expected to approve an extensive water policy bill in the coming days. The state Senate is scheduled to take up the measure (SB 552) Wednesday during a floor session.
The proposal, which has been years in the making, would create the Florida Springs and Aquifer Protect Act; updates and restructures the Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program; and calls on the state DEP to conduct an assessment of water resources and conservation lands.
“Across the state, Floridians are supportive of ensuring access to an abundant and clean water supply,” said Brewster Bevis, chair of the H20 Coalition, in a statement. “The comprehensive water bill under consideration in the Legislature accomplishes these goals and takes a historic step forward in protecting and preserving Florida’s most natural resource.”
The AIF H2O Coalition poll found that 25 percent of respondents said improving water quality is the state’s greatest environmental concern, while 17 percent of respondents said dealing with climate change and saving freshwater springs were top concerns.
Cleaning up the Everglades and increasing Florida’s water supply each received 15 percent; while 5 percent of respondents said improving air quality was the greatest concern for them.
The poll also found that 38 percent of respondents said they would most like to see Amendment 1 dollars be spent on protecting drinking water. Twelve percent of respondents said they would most like to see the money used to buy land/protect the Everglades.
The poll was conducted by McLaughlin & Associates from Dec. 1 through Dec. 3. The firm surveyed 600 likely 2016 general election voters by phone by professional interviewers. To increase coverage, 294 of the 600 interviews were conducted by cellphones.
The poll has a 4 percent margin of error.
