A national survey released in March suggests the vast majority of Albertans is very concerned about freshwater supply but is still not fully informed about water use.

The study conducted by Ipsos Reid for Unilever and the Royal Bank of Canada included a sample of 2,165 adult Canadians from the general population across Canada. The results are considered accurate to within ± 2.2 per cent 19 times out of 20 if the entire adult population in Canada had been polled.

According to the national survey, Canadians are as concerned about the long-term supply and quality of Canada's freshwater as they are about the stability of global financial markets. Only the availability of adequate health care ranked higher as a concern by Canadians.

The vast majority of Albertans (85 percent) are more concerned about the long-term supply and quality of Canada's freshwater than the protection of other natural resources such as forests, agricultural farmland, oil, and fisheries.

But, when it comes to having a good understanding of water use, Albertans are not fully informed. With respect to individual water use, only 23 percent of Albertans were correct in estimating they use over 100 litres or more a day. On average, Canadians use 329 litres on an average day including drinking, showing, bathing, toilet flushing, laundry, dish washing, and other household activities. Thirty-eight percent estimated they used less than 100 litres per day and 39 percent did not know how much they used on a daily basis.

"We have a disturbing paradox in Canada when it comes to our freshwater," says Bob Sandford, chair, Canadian Partnership Initiative of the UN Water for Life Decade. "On the one hand, Canadians appear to value water as a crucial natural resource and understand that conservation of this precious resource is critical. Yet unfortunately at the same time, they don't seem to know how much water they use each day or where it comes from."

The survey also illustrated some misconceptions Albertans have about water use in the province. While irrigation in Alberta makes up the majority (43 percent) of the total water use in Alberta, only 14 percent of the survey respondents identified irrigation as having the highest water use. The majority of respondents (46 percent) believed that industry (manufacturing, energy) used the majority of water in Alberta when in fact it only represents 28 percent of total water use. And, finally, 40 percent of Albertans believe that municipal water use is the highest use when it actually makes up 11 percent of total use.

Thirty percent of Canadians said more education is needed to encourage water conservation. Another 35 percent identified rebates, by-laws, enforcement, and charging for water as providing the most encouragement for water conservation.

While regional results were not available, the majority of Canadians believe that runoff of pollutants from land to water and mass exports of water to the U.S. constitute the two biggest threats to Canada's freshwater supply. Wasteful use by industrial companies, agriculture, and individual consumers was only cited by 15 percent of Canadians.

Nationally, Canadians are losing confidence in a secure and safe water supply declining by 11 points from 2008 to 2009. More than any other region in Canada, Albertans have the lowest confidence in their water supply. Still, the vast majority of Albertans (68 percent) are confident or very confident in their water supply. Despite this confidence, three-quarters of Albertans believe that Canada is at risk of freshwater supply shortages — more so than any other province in Canada.

Other results:

• 92 percent of Albertans believe that there is an emerging freshwater crisis on the planet.
• 72 percent if Albertans believe climate change will have a negative impact on Canada's freshwater resources.
• 75 percent of Albertans are confident in the safety (water quality) of their water supply.
• 48 percent of Albertans consider water Canada's most important resource
• See March 17, 2009 press release. Majority of Canadians consider water to be Canada's most important natural resource.