2026 Value of
Water Index
Since 2016, the Value of Water Campaign has conducted bipartisan polling of 1,000 voters nationwide to test opinions on water infrastructure, services, affordability, and funding. The resulting insights inform water leaders and policymakers on how Americans view the state of our nation’s water systems.
Poll Highlights
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Voters strongly support continued federal water investments.
81% of voters support continued funding. Support for water infrastructure funding is widespread, spanning all genders, age groups, regions, and income levels.
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Voters are concerned about water pressures, including extreme weather and data centers.
51% of voters have been impacted by a major weather event in the past five years. 75% of voters express concern about the potential impacts of data centers on water resources.
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Concerns about water affordability are growing.
85% of voters now say the cost of water service is an important issue. And over a quarter of voters state that their water is unaffordable— the highest ever recorded in over a decade of polling.
