SAN DIEGO — Two new polls, one statewide and one in the San Diego area, have now tallied residents' opinions about California's water crisis and what to do about it, and the results should give the state's political and water agency leaders plenty of food for thought.

In one poll, conducted by Competitive Edge Research, San Diegans were asked about the potential of a water shortage and what conservation efforts they’ve taken. They also were quizzed on whether using treated recycled water was a good option for dealing with shortages, according to a September 27 KPBS report.

Water recycling was respondents’ least favorite option, when given a choice of using desalination, mandatory rationing or water recycling to deal with shortages.

John Nienstedt of Competitive Edge Research told KPBS that a significant number of respondents, after receiving more information about water recycling, were willing to change their minds.

The “toilet to tap” issue is hot right now in San Diego; the city’s mayor is against it while the city’s attorney is for it.

Meanwhile, a statewide poll that looked at attitudes toward lawn and garden watering found that more than half of the residents polled had no idea how much water they were using, reported The Press Enterprise on September 26.

That survey was conducted by the Water Resources Institute and the Institute of Applied Research and Policy Analysis, both at California State University at San Bernardino, and co-sponsored by the California Urban Water Conservation Council.

Of residents who tried to estimate how much water they used in their lawns and gardens, 68 percent thought they used less than 50 gallons a day; however, the statewide average is 185 gallons, the article reported.

Chris Brown, the California Urban Water Conservation Council’s executive director, said the conservation council’s members will now use the poll’s findings to raise awareness of how much water is used on lawns and gardens.

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