Fall 1999 Omnibus Survey Results

Question 1 (repeat):

What common practices and activities in homes and communities, other than factories, are you aware of that contribute to water pollution in Maine?

Table 1. Responses to top of the mind question - what is polluting the water?¹

Other interesting responses:

MTBE (3.9%)
Construction (2.9%)
Forest harvesting (2.2%)
Underground oil/gas tanks (1.2%)
Soil erosion (0.7%)
Bacterial contamination from animals/diapers (0.7%) (New response)

This question has now been asked 4 falls in a row (1996, 97, 98 & 99). Unfortunately the first response has remained the same "Don't know". The second response in all 4 years is still septic systems, however the remaining top responses have changed.

 ¹ Sampling error of 4.9%. Thus, anything less than 4.9% was not included in the table.

 Table 1b. Four years of top answers to Omnibus Survey.

 The changes worth noting include:

• Sludge/landfills was mentioned in '97 & '98 at 16% & 10%, but was never mentioned in the 1999 survey. (I believe this follows the news coverage in Southern Maine.)
• Bacterial contamination has never been mentioned before. (Again this may be a reflection of news coverage.)

 Question 2 (new):

What action can you personally take to reduce water pollution in Maine?

Table 2. Overall results to second question - what can they do to protect water quality.

Not statistically significant but interesting - the following were mentioned:

Less boating/jet ski (2.9%)
Drink spring water rather than tap (0.5%)
Don't over develop land/protect watersheds from development (0.2%)
Purchase gasoline in another state (0.2%)
Don't clear-cut within 200 feet of the waters edge (0.2%)
Control erosion around lakes (0.2%)

The 5.8% who said, "there is nothing I can do" indicate a lack of ownership/personal responsibility and control over water quality. Looking at the demographics the groups who feel the least responsible are suburban, southern & coastal Maine, and those with a college education. Which is surprising since one would assume these groups would be more tuned in, unless they feel overwhelmed.

² Unfortunately this is not a specific action. I am not sure how to interpret this response.

The top pollution sources are not always the same if we break the responses down by demographics.

Table 3. Demographic differences in top pollution sources.

Top for Suburban	Top for Southern Maine	Top for Coastal Maine	Top for <35yrs	Top 35-54 years	Top for $50k+	College Grad/more
Proper disposal of chemicals (29.3%)	Proper disposal of chemicals (19.4%)	Proper disposal of chemicals (21.5%)	Proper disposal of chemicals (25.4%)	Proper disposal of chemicals (26.6%)	Proper disposal of chemicals (25.4%)	Proper disposal of chemicals (21.6%)
Spread awareness about polluting activities (12.1%)	Not use fertilizers/pesticides (12.4%)	Not use fertilizers/pesticides (20.0%)	Recycle/use more natural (15.5%)	Not using fertilizers/pesticides (14.7%)	Not using fertilizers/pesticides (20.3%)	Not using fertilizers/pesticides (17.0%)
(Tied for third at 10.3%) Don't pollute lakes/rivers/streams/wetlandsNot use fertilizers/pesticides Recycle/use more natural	Spread awareness about polluting activities (11.6%)	(Tied for third at 10.8%) Don't pollute lakes/rivers/streams/wetlandsSpread awareness about polluting activities Make sure septic system is in good condition	Don't pollute lakes/rivers streams/wetlands (12.7%)	Spread awareness about polluting activities (14.1%)	Don't pollute lakes/rivers/streams/wetlands (12.7%)	Spread awareness about polluting activities (15%)
Proper disposal of oil (6.9%)	Recycle/use more natural (9.3%)	Recycle/use more natural (7.7%)	Proper disposal of oil (8.5%)	Don't pollute lakes/rivers/streams/wetlands (10.3%)	(Tied at 11.9%) Spread awareness about polluting activities Recycle/use more natural	Recycle/use more natural (12.4%)
Tied at 5.2%) Make sure septic system is in good condition There is noting I can do	Proper disposal of oil (8.5%)	There is nothing I can do (6.2%)	Spread awareness about polluting activities (5.6%)	Recycle/use more natural (8.7%)	(Tied at 8.5%) Proper disposal of oil (8.5%) Make sure septic system is in good condition	Make sure septic system in good condition (10.5%)
.	Don't pollute lakes/rivers/streams/wetlands (6.2%)	.	.	Proper disposal of oil (6.5%)	.	Don't pollute lakes/rivers/streams/wetlands (9.2%)
.	There is nothing I can do (6.2%)	.	.	Make sure septic system is in good condition (5.4%)	.	Proper disposal of oil (7.8%)
.	.	.	.	.	.	Conserve water in the household (5.9%)

"Don't pollute lakes/rivers/streams/wetlands" was given significantly more by those living in the north than the remainder of the state (south, coastal, and central). (But what does this response mean since it is not a specific action?)

"Not using fertilizers/pesticides/do organic farming" was significantly given more in the Coastal areas than the remainder of the state.

"Make sure septic system is in good condition/composting toilet" was given significantly more in the Coastal section of the state.

There were no differences between renters and homeowners for any of the responses.

Those over 55 years of age were least likely to respond "proper disposal of chemicals". Yet this same age group was the most likely to say, " don't pollute lakes/rivers/streams/wetlands".

Those over 35 years old were more likely than those under 34 years of age to say "Spread awareness about polluting activities/contact legislators/vote to keep Maine waters clean".

"Not using fertilizers/pesticides/do organic farming" was mentioned by only 1 person (1.4%) under 35 years old, but mentioned by 27 (14.7%) and 16 (10.9 %) of those 35-54 and 55+ year olds. While those under 35 were the most likely to respond "recycle/use more natural/ environmentally safe consumer products."

The more income the more likely the respondent was to say "Proper disposal of chemicals." While the lower the income the more likely they were to say, "Don't pollute lakes/rivers/streams/wetlands".

There was a huge income difference in those who were likely to say "Not using fertilizers/pesticides/ do organic farming", the highest income bracket ($50k +) responded 20.3% while those $25-50k only 8.6% and under $25k only 5.4%. There is a similar regression for "making sure septic system is in good condition" 8.5%, 5.4% and 2.5%.

"There's nothing I can do was mentioned more often the lower the income (under $25k - 8.6%, $25-50k - 6.1%, $50k+ - 3.4%)

Those with a high school education or less were the most likely to respond "don't pollute lakes/rivers/streams/wetlands". (But this is a nonspecific answer, there is no personal action mentioned.)

Those with a college education or more were the most likely to respond "spread awareness about polluting activities/contact legislators/vote to keep Maine waters clean". This group was also most likely to say "Not using fertilizers/pesticides/do organic farming" and "make sure septic system is in good condition/composting toilet".

Females (16.5%) were more likely than males (7.0%) to say, "don't pollute lakes/rivers/streams/wetlands." While males were more likely (9.4%) to say, "make sure septic system is in good condition/composing toilet" than females (3.8%).

Question 3 (new):

Which one of the following pollutants do you think represents the greatest threat to water quality in Maine?

Table 4. Greatest threat to water quality Maine.

Spilled gas/oil was mentioned less frequently by the suburban population than urban, small town and rural residence.

Urban (12.8%) and suburban (13.8%) were less likely than small town (22.6%) and rural residents (21.2%) to mention fertilizer as the greatest threat. However, urban residents were least likely to mention eroded soil.

Failing septics was actually suburban residence second choice (22.4%) for the greatest threat and they mentioned it more than the other residential populations.

Southern and coastal residents were much more likely to mention spilled gas/oil products than central and northern residents.

According to Northern residents (29.3%) fertilizers are the greatest threat to water quality. Coastal and Central residents also mentioned fertilizers more than southern (21.5%, 18.6%, and 11.6% respectively).

A surprise is that Coastal (6.2%) residents did not rate discharges from boats higher than Southern (14.9%), Central (14.4%) and Northern ((8.6%), yet the coast has the majority of boats.

There were small differences between those who own and those who rent.

The younger (<35 yrs) were the most likely to rate spilled gas/oil products number one (53.5%) with the older one was the less likely (35-54 years 35.5%, and 55+ yrs 27.9%).

Those with the least education (High school or less) said spilled gas/oil products 41.9% while some college education 35.9% and College grad/more 28.8%.

Those with a college education stated fertilizers (28.8%) more than their two education counter parts (19.6% some college, 12.5% High school or less). The same trend holds for eroded soil, college education 13.1%, some college 8.7%, high school or less 3.8%.

Males were more likely than females to name spilled gas/oil products and eroded soil. Females were more likely than males to name failing septic systems waste from boats, and to say they didn't know.

A total of 7.4% either said none of the above, don't know or refused to answer the question. Don't know was a full 5.7%. (Thus, indicating a significant lack of confidence in their knowledge of the subject.)

Question 4 (new):

Which one of these do you think represents the second greatest threat to water quality in Maine?

Table 5. Second greatest threat to water quality in Maine.

23.4% either said none of the above, don't know or refused to answer the question. (According to Market Decisions this shows a lack of knowledge.)

Coastal residents (6.2%) were the most likely to say none of the above.

Southern and northern residents (20.9% and 25.9%) were more likely to refuse than Coastal and Central residents.

Those making less than $25k were more likely to refuse (21.5%) compared to those making more than 25k (16.6% and 16.9%).

Additional thoughts and comments
I think we have established the top of the mind water pollution sources and unfortunately, the great percent aren't even willing to venture a guess. This past summer the NPS Awareness Campaign bought air time on radio stations around the state, submitted articles to papers (and some did appear), and advertised in special issue sections with no noticeable change in top of the mind awareness.

DEP's Bureau of Land & Water Quality's "hot topics" soil erosion and stormwater are neither a top of the mind threat or chosen from a knowledge-based question as a threat. One possible reason might be that erosion & stormwater are both perceived to be "natural" occurrences as compared to spilled oil products which are not natural and are perceived to have more "danger". Maybe DEP should take "advantage" of drinking water supply boil orders and expound on the danger that the soil and stormwater have created. However, we should work with DHS before trying to create an "alarm".

Most disturbing is the large number of people, even when supplied with options, did not feel conformable or enough knowledge to venture a guess as to what the greatest and second greatest threats are to Maine's waters. I think this highlights the vast difference in knowledge between DEP and the "general public". As the DEP moves to further improve the state's waters, we have and will continue to turn more and more to regulating individual activities (the general public via the Erosion Control Law, Shoreland Zoning, NRPA, Stormwater), yet people have yet to recognize that their actions are the source of the pollution and they don't think they can do anything about it. This disparity will most likely hinder our voluntary efforts and could create a backlash against regulations that seem to have no real purpose.

This past year the NPS Awareness Campaign touched on a number of NPS pollution sources. Christine Smith and the lakes program stressed phosphorous free fertilizers. A recommendation that DEP has received from both NL Partners and Market Decisions is to focus on one topic. (We tried to focus on a BMP - buffer planting a year ago, but …)

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