Purpose.
The Northwestern
Indiana Regional Planning Commission conducted a water
quality survey during the summer of 2007. The purpose of the
survey was to provide a benchmark to gauge the effectiveness
of regional and local public outreach campaigns on water
quality issues in the NIRPC region.
Method
of Administration. A
four-page survey and cover letter were mailed to a
stratified random sample of 1,800 households in the NIRPC
region. A total
of 450 households were randomly selected from each of four
regions: (1) the
cities of Gary/East Chicago, (2) other areas of
Lake
County
(outside Gary/East Chicago) that are in the Lake Michigan
Watershed, (3) areas of northern
Porter
County
in the Lake Michigan Watershed, and (4) portions of Lake and
Porter
County
in the Kankakee Watershed.
Approximately 10 days after the surveys were mailed,
residents who received the survey were contacted by phone.
Those who indicated that they had not returned
the survey were given the option of completing it by phone.
Of the 1,800 households in the NIRPC region that
received a survey, 403 households returned the survey by
mail and 352 completed the survey by phone for a total of
755 completed surveys. The
response rate significantly exceeded the project goal of 600
completed surveys.
The
sample was stratified to obtain at least 150 completed
surveys from each of the four areas described above. This
was done to ensure that the results for each area would be
statistically representative. The overall results for the
NIRPC region were weighted based on the actual population in
each of the four areas.
The weighting factors are shown in Section 4 of this
report. The results for each watershed have a precision of
at least +/-7.2% at the 95% level of confidence.
The overall results for the region have a precision
of at least +/-3.7% at the 95% level of confidence.
Major Findings
Perceptions
of Water Resources
Residents
were asked questions about their perceptions of water
resources. Some
of the findings are listed below:
·
Residents were asked
to rate the quality of water in lakes, rivers, and streams
in the community where they live.
Eight percent (8%) of those surveyed thought water
quality was improving. Thirty-eight
percent (38%) reported that they thought water quality was
getting worse; 37% thought it was “staying the same,”
and 17% did not have an opinion.
·
50% of those
surveyed thought the way they cared for their home had
little or no effect on the quality of water in lakes and
streams in the community where they live; 29% thought it had
a moderate effect, 13% thought it had a great effect, and 8%
indicated that they “didn’t know.”
·
One-fifth (21%) of
those surveyed indicated that they believed the fresh water
supply in Northwestern Indiana was an unlimited supply that
is replenished when it rains; 67% thought that the fresh
water supply was a limited and non-renewable source that
could disappear and 12% indicated that they “didn’t
know”.
Connection
of Stormwater Runoff and Water Resources
Residents
were asked questions about stormwater runoff and water
resource issues. Selected
findings are listed below:
·
45% of those
surveyed thought industrial facility discharges were the
greatest contributor of pollution to lakes, rivers and
streams; 16% selected illegal dumping and 11% selected
sewage overflow.
·
30% of respondents thought stormwater goes
directly to lakes/streams without treatment; 27% thought it
goes to a treatment plant, and 17% thought it goes to
lakes/streams with treatment. 26% of those surveyed
indicated that they “did not know.”
·
Only 6% of those surveyed really understood
the meaning of the term “watershed.”
The majority (58%) of those surveyed indicated that
were not familiar with the term “watershed.” 14%
indicated that they lived near, but not in, a watershed and
22% of those surveyed indicated that they did not live
near a watershed.
·
Most (72%) of those
surveyed either “strongly agreed” or “agreed” with
the statement that the quality of local streams and rivers
where they live affects the
Great Lakes
.
Current
Activities
Residents
were asked questions regarding lawn and home care
activities. Some
of the findings are listed below:
·
Twenty-six percent
(26%) of those surveyed indicated that they typically wash
their vehicles at home in the driveway.
Most (61%) of those surveyed indicated that they use
a car wash.
·
19% of those
surveyed indicated that members of their household usually
change motor oil, transmission fluid or radiator fluid for a
vehicle at their home.
·
Almost two-thirds
(64%) of those surveyed indicated that their household uses
a community collection site to dispose of household
hazardous waste, such as old oil, fluids from vehicles,
batteries, and pesticides; 20% of those surveyed indicated
that their household typically disposes of household
hazardous waste with their regular trash.
·
Of those surveyed
who owned a dog, (59%)indicated that their household
disposes of their dog’s waste along with their regular
trash and 17% of those surveyed indicated that they do not
pick up their dog’s waste.
·
Of
those surveyed who have a yard (53%) indicated that their
household typically leaves their grass clippings and leaves
on the lawn/mulches them and 35% of those surveyed indicated
that they use the curbside pickup in their community to
dispose of grass clippings and leaves and 10% compost the
leaves and grass clippings in their yard.
·
More than half (55%)
of those surveyed indicated that their household fertilizes
their lawn at least once a year.
·
22% of the residents
surveyed reported that they have a septic system in their
home. Of those
who have a septic system in their home, 72% reported that
they have had their septic system checked or serviced in the
past 5 years, 17% reported that they have not and 11%
didn’t know or don’t remember.
Willingness
to Take Action to Help Reduce Pollution of Streams and Lakes.
Residents
were asked how willing they would be to perform various
actions to help reduce pollution in lakes and streams.
Among residents who had an opinion 90% were willing to dispose of hazardous waste at
a community collection day, 88% were willing to have their
septic tank serviced every 3-5 years, and 86% were willing
to sweep excess fertilizer and grass clippings back into
their lawn. Residents
were somewhat less willing to have their soil tested (55%)
and to change lawn watering practices (67%).
Support
for an Ordinance to Require Developers to Protect Streams
and Lakes.
Residents
were asked if they would be supportive of an ordinance that
would require developers in
Northwestern Indiana
to protect streams and stream corridors when land is
developed. 61%
of respondents were very supportive of such an ordinance,
23% were somewhat supportive, 14% were not sure and 2% were
not supportive.
Willingness
to Pay an Increase in Utility Fees to Fund Stormwater and
Sewer Improvements.
Respondents
were asked how willing they would be to pay an increase in
utility fees to fund stormwater and sewer improvements in
the community where they live to help reduce damage from
flooding and to help protect water quality.
26% were either very willing or willing to pay an
increase in utility fees, 33% were somewhat willing, 28%
were either not willing or not willing at all, and 13%
didn’t know.
Best
Ways to Inform Residents about Ways to Protect Lakes and
Streams.
The
top four ways residents preferred to receive information
about what they can do to protect lakes and streams were
from newspapers and magazines (47%), water/sewer bill insert
(34%), television stories/ads (29%), and mail/brochures
(28%).
