Poll Shows Disparity Between Drought Danger Awareness, Action

By Alison St John / Reporter, KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published September 27, 2007 at 1:27 PM PDT

This story was published more than 16 years ago.

More than two thirds of San Diegans say a possible water shortage is a very serious issue, though only about one third say they've made a big effort to conserve water this summer. A poll out today als

More than two thirds of San Diegans say a possible water shortage is a very serious issue, though only about one third say they've made a big effort to conserve water this summer. A poll out today also shows attitudes about recycling sewage to drinking water could change. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.

The poll shows about 50 percent of San Diegans oppose water recycling, sometimes called “toilet to tap.” Given three options of how to deal with water shortages -- desalination, mandatory rationing and water recycling -- recycling comes last.

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But pollster John Nienstedt of Competitive Edge Research says when given more information about water recycling, a significant number of people were willing to change their minds.

Nienstedt : I wouldn't completely count out waste water to well water. They've got somewhat of an open mind at this point because the issue is so serious.

Mayor Jerry Sanders opposes water recycling; the city attorney is for it. Sanders' analysis says it's more expensive than desalination, but environmentalists challenge that.

The issue will be debated at city hall in two weeks.

Alison St John, KPBS News.

Alison St John

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Alison St John currently serves as a general assignment reporter and occasionally co-hosts KPBS Midday Edition. She fell in love with KPBS Radio when she arrived in San Diego in 1985 and first heard NPR. She has been a voice on KPBS Radio since 1989, and has served as a news reporter for radio, TV and the web, as well as anchoring, hosting, producing and editing. Alison has reported on stories about North County and was based in the KPBS' North County Bureau. Alison covered the metro beat during the critical period of the San Diego City pension crisis, and the education beat while Alan Bersin was the controversial Superintendent of San Diego City School District. She covered health when the industry was converting to managed care and told welfare reform stories in the late 1990s when Clinton was “ending welfare as we know it.” She has covered land use issues extensively, looking at the challenges of meeting a growing population while preserving community character, and developing a better transportation system to meet environmental concerns. She has done many stories on the military in San Diego, and the series she edited on the challenges veterans face returning from active duty to civilian life won “Best of Show” from the San Diego Society of Professional Journalists. She occasionally hosts the KPBS Roundtable and KPBS Midday Edition. Alison has won awards from the San Diego Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Associated Press TV and Radio Association, and the California Golden Mike Awards. Alison was born in Tanzania, brought up in Scotland, and earned her degree in psychology and sociology from Durham University in England. Her postgraduate diploma is in student counseling. She worked in England, Nigeria, Switzerland, Belgium, India, and Japan before moving to the United States in 1981. She now lives in Oceanside and enjoys how her community is growing and changing.