AWWA JAW17234 ✓ Most Recent

The public water supply in Clifton Springs, New York, has nitrate levels greater than the state-mandated maximum contaminant level of 10 mg/L. The customers have been notified of the problem by mail since 1978, and a citizens' advisory committee was established in 1981 to secure public cooperation in solving the problem. A survey, which included a mailed questionnaire and in-depth interviews in ten percent of the village households, was instituted to assess: the effectiveness of notification in influencing public knowledge of the water problem; the public's concerns about water quality; and the extent of the public's willingness to pay to correct the problem. The results of the survey indicate that public participation in decision-making is an effective method of educating the community and of securing its cooperation. Includes 3 references, tables. See more