Northwest Arkansas residents who responded to a survey about the region's infrastructure gave waterways, roads and recycling as their priorities.

More than 4,000 people responded to the survey by the Northwest Arkansas Council, a group of business and civic leaders. The survey was conducted Feb. 15 to March 25 and will be used by the council's Infrastructure Work Group, which was re-established earlier this year, according to a news release...

"The survey confirmed many things we believed to be true, but also provided some surprising insights," said Nelson Peacock, the council's president and CEO.

For example, the survey asked people if they'd be willing to pay more for drinking water if they knew additional money would go toward the long-term protection of the region's rivers and lakes, Peacock said. In all, 65% of the 3,931 residents who answered that question said they would pay more, he said.

Beaver Lake and the streams that feed it provide drinking water for the vast majority of residents in the region, according to Beaver Water District officials. The water district was established in 1957 and supplies wholesale drinking water to the cities of Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville. Those cities pump, store, distribute and resell the water to more than 400,000 customers...

Lane Crider, CEO at Beaver Water, said the survey results confirm education and outreach efforts by the district and its partners are getting through, taking root and creating awareness among the public.

"It's a wonderful affirmation that our message is being received and that the citizens of Northwest Arkansas, they realize how vitally important maintaining this watershed and this drinking water source is," Crider said.

The article goes on to detail the wonderful work by Friends of Reservoirs member, Beaver Watershed Alliance. Read more from the original article at: https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/22/water-quality-recycling-and-waste-reduction-and/