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Valuing Ground Water: Economic Concepts and Approaches (1997)

Chapter: Appendix B: A Portion of a Sample Contingent Value Method Questionnaire

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: A Portion of a Sample Contingent Value Method Questionnaire." National Research Council. 1997. Valuing Ground Water: Economic Concepts and Approaches. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5498.
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Appendix B—A Portion of a Sample Contingent Value Methods Questionnaire

John Reed Powell

  1. There are many ways to protect public water supplies, and communities vary greatly in the extent to which they protect water supplies. We would like your opinion on how well you feel the drinking water supply in your community is protected from contamination.

Study the chart below and circle one letter (A, B, C, or D) that corresponds to how safe you feel about your household drinking water supply.

HOW SAFE I FEEL

PROTECTION LEVEL

DESCRIPTION

VERY SAFE

A

I feel absolutely secure. I have no worries about the safety of the community water supply at present. I am certain the level of protection is excellent and I cannot foresee any contamination occurring in the near future.

SAFE

B

I feel secure. I am confident the community water supply is safe at present. I am sure the level of protection is good and I am reasonably sure the water will not be contaminated in the near future.

SOMEWHAT SAFE

C

I feel apprehensive. I am unsure about the safety of the community water supply. I think the level of protection is adequate at present, but I am uneasy about the future. There is a possibility it could become contaminated in the near future.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: A Portion of a Sample Contingent Value Method Questionnaire." National Research Council. 1997. Valuing Ground Water: Economic Concepts and Approaches. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5498.
×

UNSAFE

D

I feel troubled. I am anxious about the safety of the community water supply. I have doubts about the level of protection and I think it is very likely the water will become contaminated in the near future.

  1. One way to prevent pollution of the supply is to establish an areawide special water protection district. This district would develop and implement pollution prevention policies specifically designed to suit your community's needs. Those in the district who would benefit from the increased protection would make an annual payment, which would be added to their water utility bill.

We are interested in discovering what you would be willing to pay, in higher water utility bills, per year to increase the level of protection for your community water supply. Take into account your household income and the fact that the money would have come from some part of your budget.

Using the payment card below, please indicate how much you are willing to pay, per year, to go from your present protection level, which you indicated on the chart in Question 1, to the highest level (For example, if you feel "SOMEWHAT SAFE" now, what would you pay to move to "VERY SAFE")? Circle one dollar range as your annual payment.

$0

$51-75

$201-225

$0-10

$76-100

$226-250

$11-20

$101-125

$251-275

$21-30

$126-150

$276-300

$31-40

$151-175

$301-325

$41-50

$176-200

$326-350

If you would be willing to pay more than $350, what is the maximum amount per year that would pay $________.

  1. If you answered "$0" to Question 2, please indicate which one of the following reasons best describes why you answered the way you did:

  • I AM ALREADY AT THE HIGHEST PROTECTION LEVEL.

  • I NEED MORE INFORMATION TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.

  • I DO NOT WANT TO PLACE A DOLLAR VALUE ON WATER SUPPLY PROTECTION.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: A Portion of a Sample Contingent Value Method Questionnaire." National Research Council. 1997. Valuing Ground Water: Economic Concepts and Approaches. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5498.
×
  • I AM ALREADY PAYING ENOUGH.

  • OTHER (Please specify)_________________________________________________________

  1. Many individuals and groups supply information about water quality. How much trust do you have in information from each of the following different sources? Circle one letter for each item.

 

TRUST IN SOURCE

 

DO NOT TRUST AT ALL

SOME TRUST

GREAT DEAL OF TRUST

UNSURE

Business and Industry

a

b

c

d

Citizen Groups

a

b

c

d

Municipal Water Supplier

a

b

c

d

Farmers

a

b

c

d

State Agency Officials

a

b

c

d

Newspapers

a

b

c

d

Local Government Officials

a

b

c

d

Scientific Experts

a

b

c

d

Environmental Groups

a

b

c

d

Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: A Portion of a Sample Contingent Value Method Questionnaire." National Research Council. 1997. Valuing Ground Water: Economic Concepts and Approaches. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5498.
×
Page 174
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: A Portion of a Sample Contingent Value Method Questionnaire." National Research Council. 1997. Valuing Ground Water: Economic Concepts and Approaches. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5498.
×
Page 175
Suggested Citation:"Appendix B: A Portion of a Sample Contingent Value Method Questionnaire." National Research Council. 1997. Valuing Ground Water: Economic Concepts and Approaches. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/5498.
×
Page 176
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Because water in the United State has not been traded in markets, there is no meaningful estimate of what it would cost if it were traded. But failing to establish ground water's value—for in situ uses such as sustaining wetlands as well as for extractive uses such as agriculture—will lead to continued overuse and degradation of the nation's aquifers.

In Valuing Ground Water an interdisciplinary committee integrates the latest economic, legal, and physical knowledge about ground water and methods for valuing this resource, making it comprehensible to decision-makers involved in Superfund cleanup efforts, local wellhead protection programs, water allocation, and other water-related management issues. Using the concept of total economic value, this volume provides a framework for calculating the economic value of ground water and evaluating tradeoffs between competing uses of it. Included are seven case studies where ground-water valuation has been or could be used in decisionmaking.

The committee examines trends in ground-water management, factors that contribute to its value, and issues surrounding ground-water allocation and legal rights to its use. The book discusses economic valuation of natural resources and reviews several valuation methods.

Presenting conclusions, recommendations, and research priorities, Valuing Ground Water will be of interest to those concerned about ground-water issues: policymakers, regulators, economists, attorneys, researchers, resource managers, and environmental advocates.

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