Australians’ attitudes to water use and security will be laid bare with the launch of the 2016 Australian Water Survey.

“For many Australians, water is only a topic talked about during a drought or a flood. It’s usually something only brought up in conversation when water is contaminated or supply is low,” says Australian Water Association CEO Jonathan McKeown.

“Water is something we use every single day for many aspects of our lives, so why don’t we think about the importance of it more often?

“How confident can we be that all Australians will have water security in the future and how confident can the community be that the government will ensure water security for all Australians in the future?”

The Australian Water Survey has two streams of questions: one for consumers and one for people within the water industry.

The results are intended to provide insights into community attitudes on water to be released in October at the IWA World Water Congress in Brisbane.

“Water is a major driver of our nation’s life and prosperity, and the Australian community and its leaders can’t afford to be complacent about water security for urban, regional, rural or remote communities. A national conversation is needed on water security, and we hope this survey and its results will help raise the importance of water to all Australians,” Mr McKeown said.

The survey is open until August 12, and is accessible here.