ACTeon
Innovation, policy, environment
RESEARCH ON SHALLOW GROUNDWATER PROTECTION AGAINST POLLUTION FROM PETROLEUM PRODUCTS IN THE CITY OF RIGA
May 2006
QUESTIONNAIRE
INTERVIEWER’S NAME ______________________
DATE ____ . ____ . ____
TIME (Start, end) ___:___ ___:___
TYPE OF INTERVIEW ____________________
LOCATION _______________________
Labdien!
Es esmu Latvijas Universitātes students/sabiedrisko aptauju kompānijas darbinieks. Mēs veicam sabiedrisko aptauju, lai noskaidrotu sabiedrības viedokli par pazemes ūdeņu kvalitāti Rīgā un vēlamajiem pasākumiem to aizsardzībai.
Vai Jūs piekristu atbildēt uz anketas jautājumiem? Intervija neaizņems vairāk par 25 minūtēm. Aptauja ir anonīma un atbildes tiks izmantotas tikai šī pētījuma vajadzībām.
Please read carefully the information presented below!
Characterization of shallow groundwater in the city of Riga
Groundwater can be subdivided into deep (or artesian) groundwater and shallow groundwater.
Shallow groundwater is located in the layer closest to the surface of the soil with an average depth from 1 to 10 m.
Shallow groundwater can be used as drinking water supply (although this is rarely the case in Latvia overall). It can be used for other domestic needs also like garden watering, swimming polls etc.
Shallow groundwater is closely connected to surface water (rivers, lakes, channels) – due to the natural flow of groundwater to surface waters, it helps maintaining natural water regime of these ecosystems (particularly during periods of drought).
Shallow groundwater also maintains the rawness regime of the soil and it captures pollution coming from the surface through the soil.
I- YOUR CONNECTIONS TO GROUNDWATER AND SURFACE WATER
1. Do you use public water supply services at your residence?
Yes No (go to the question 4)
2. Do you know where water supplied to you via the public water network comes from?
From surface water
From deep groundwater
From shallow groundwater
From both surface and groundwater
I don’t know
3. Do you know how much you currently pay for water services?
Yes No
If yes, how much do you pay on average? _______ LVL per month or _______ LVL per year
4. Do you have your own well at home which allows you to pump groundwater?
Yes No (go to the question 5)
If yes, what do you use its water for? (several options can be marked)
Drinking water
Other in-house uses (clothes washing, cleaning, etc) Outdoor uses (garden watering, car washing and other)
Other uses (please specify).……….
Why do you use the water from your own well?
Tap water is not of good quality
No other options exist
For financial reasons
For practical reasons
For other reasons (please specify)
II- YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE MAIN SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN RIGA
6. What is (are) in your opinion the most important problem(s) in Riga (e.g. social, economic, environmental)?
(Please rank if more than one problem identified) 1- ………..
2- ………..
3- ………..
4- ………..
5. In Riga are you sometimes …
Never Sometimes (1 or 2 times per year)
Often (3 to 10 times per year)
Very often (more than 10 times per year) Walking along lakes,
rivers, channels
Swimming in lakes,
rivers, channels
Fishing in lakes, rivers,
channels
Boating in lakes, rivers, channels
7. With regards to the protection of the environment, what are in your opinion the two most important problems in Riga (tick only 2 boxes)
Noise
Air pollution
Pollution of rivers, lakes and channels
Pollution of groundwater
Pollution of soils
Decrease of forests and parks
Loss of biodiversity
Other (please
specify)……….
8. How would you assess the quality of water in Riga?
Quality … Bad Poor Moderate Good Very
good Do not know
of water in the Daugava river is….
of water in other rivers and lakes is…
of shallow groundwater is …
of drinking water is…
9. In your opinion, how has the water quality changed over the last 15 years?
For rivers and lakes Degraded
The same as today
Improved
I don’t know For shallow groundwater Degraded
The same as today
Improved
I don’t know
10. Would you like to be more informed about the water quality in Riga?
Yes No
11. How important is it for you that the shallow groundwater quality is good in Riga?
Not important at all Not very important Important Very important If important or very important, please explain why?
………
………
III- POLLUTION IN THE SHALLOW GROUNDWATER IN RIGA: CURRENT SITUATION
Please read carefully the information presented below!
Pollution of shallow groundwater with petroleum products in Riga
Groundwater quality measurements indicate significant problems with shallow groundwater quality under the city of Riga as a result of the presence of organic compounds, chlorides and petroleum products. Petroleum pollution is caused, for instance, by oil tanks, fuel filling stations and parking places. Therefore the current legislation sets strict environmental standards for the management of such objects for limiting pollution.
However, there are problems with historical petroleum pollution in Riga. Almost 100 sites of shallow groundwater contaminated by petroleum products have been identified in Riga. These sites compose less than 1% of the total territory of Riga, but their pollution level is very high here (leading in some cases to a permanent floating layer of petroleum products in shallow groundwater). Due to the insoluble nature of petroleum pollution, it will remain in shallow groundwater also in the future if no specific measures are taken for eliminating the pollution.
Please take a look at the map in Figure 1.
Overall:
• Water quality in all contaminated districts is assessed as poor;
• The pollution level in all these districts is too high for shallow groundwater to be used for any human needs today or in the future;
• In contaminated areas close to surface waters, there is a risk that shallow groundwater pollution reaches connected rivers, lakes or channels – with detrimental impact on surface water ecosystems and on swimming/leisure activities;
• Several contaminated areas are located in the residential areas of the city;
• In many sites, soil and shallow groundwater pollutions cause significant barriers to current and future urban planning and development.
12. Were you informed about shallow groundwater pollution problems in Riga as described above?
Not informed at all Little uninformed Well informed
13. How realistic do you find the situation described?
Not realistic Realistic
If unrealistic, explain why?
………...
14. From your knowledge, is there any site located close to your home where shallow groundwater is contaminated with petroleum products?
Definitely no I think yes I don’t know
IV- YOUR OPINIOUN ON ACTIONS FOR SHALLOW GROUNDWATER PROTECTION IN RIGA
Please read carefully the information presented below!
Measures for improving shallow groundwater quality in Riga
To eliminate historical pollution problems in the contaminated districts of shallow groundwater, a set of measures can be applied consisting of:
• Pumping-up the floating layer of petroleum products (if such layer has formed);
• Cleaning-up the soil, either by removing it and treating in particular treatment plants or by treating on site with biological methods;
• Treating shallow groundwater from resoluble petroleum products.
Several possible programs of measures for addressing petroleum pollution problems of shallow groundwater in Riga have been elaborated. Please read carefully the description of the different programs of measures (scenarios) presented in Figure 2!
15. How clear is the characterization of scenarios presented to you?
Not clear Clear
16. Do you believe that planned results of all scenarios are achievable if adequate measures are taken?
Yes (go to the question 17) No
If no, please explain why?
17. Which scenario would you like to see implemented in practice? (Choose one of the scenarios presented earlier)
The Basic or Minimum improvement scenario
The Moderate improvement scenario
The Maximum improvement scenario
Please explain why you would choose this scenario specifically!
In the following questions we would like to estimate the value you attribute to the improvement of shallow groundwater quality in Riga.
Additional financial resources will be required for financing any of the programs of measures presented to you. As the measures are mainly related to eliminating historical pollution, there is no clear contributor who would have to pay for measures and measures would need to be financed by public (thus society) resources.
To make the implementation of measures for groundwater quality improvement possible, an annual financial contribution of each household from the city Riga would be required over the next 10 years. The financial resources collected would entirely be used to finance the implementation of the measures described above.
18. Would a regular financial contribution be acceptable to you to make the implementation of your chosen scenario for improving shallow groundwater quality in Riga possible?
Yes (go to the question 20) No
19. If no, what is the main reason? (Only a one answer. Then go to the question 24)
Cleaning shallow groundwater from pollution is not important enough
It is not acceptable to me in principle
My income is too low
Other thing where to spend money are more important for me Other reasons (please
specify):.……….…..
20. If yes, what is the maximum amount per year you would be willing to pay during 10 years on behalf of your entire household for the desired scenario to be implemented by 2015?
!!! Keep in mind that
• You would not then spend this money to buy other goods, for additional leisure activities, etc.
• Implementing the measures would in addition to improving shallow groundwater quality also lead to improvements in soil quality and protection of connected surface water.
LVL 0 LVL 5 LVL14 LVL23 LVL40 LVL 60 LVL 100
LVL 1 LVL 8 LVL15 LVL25 LVL45 LVL 70 Other amount
Please specify!
LVL 2 LVL10 LVL18 LVL30 LVL50 LVL 80
_________ LVL
LVL 3 LVL12 LVL20 LVL35 LVL55 LVL 90
21. How best would you like payment to be collected for improving shallow groundwater quality in Riga?
Via the water bill
Via a special tax or payment
Otherwise (please
specify)………..
22. Indicate on the scale below which type of considerations is the most important for you to be willing to pay for groundwater quality improvements?
5 4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5
Very
important Very
important Private considerations (for
instance use of shallow groundwater for my own needs today or in the future; inconveniences or risks caused to me by contaminated territories)
Consideration not related to direct use or private limitations (for instance a clean shallow groundwater is a value itself for me; I want to save them clean for future generations also)
Both types are of the same importance
23. Would you be ready to pay, in addition to the amount you indicated above, for other programs of measures improving quality of all waters (both surface and groundwater) in Riga?
Yes No
Please explain your answer!
……….………..
24. Please identify the two most important aspects that explain that your are ready to contribute to the restoration of shallow groundwater? (Two answers only)
Pollution level in shallow groundwater is very high
Contaminated site is located close to the drinking water abstraction site
Contaminated site is located close to my home
Contaminated site is locate in the residential part of the city Contaminated site cause pollution risk for surface water Other issue (please
specify)..………..……….……….
V- Characterising the demographic and social profile of respondents
We will now ask you few questions about yourself. The answers will be treated anonymously and will be strictly confidential. It is essential that you answer them for us to be able to analyse the information collected in your questionnaire.
25. You are a: women man
Year 19___
26. Born in:
27. Where do you live? City……….. (if no-Riga, go directly to the question 29)
28. If you live in Riga,
How long have you been living in
Riga? less than 4
years
between 5 and 9
years
between 10 and 19
years
more than 20 years
… Name of the neighbourhood
29. How many members (including yourself) live in your household?
___ people
___ children How many children do you have?
___ children How many of them are financially dependent?
30. Do you live in …
An apartment? An individual house?
31. Do you own your apartment/house?
Yes No
32. Do you have a garden at home?
Yes No
33. Which socio-professional group do you belong to? (Only one box)
Industry Health sector
Agriculture, hunting,
forestry, fishing A student
Administration and public
sector Unemployed
Teaching and research House-person
Services sector
Retired
Tourism
Others
Constructing
34. What is the highest education level you have completed?
Primary
General secondary
Special secondary
Higher
Other (specify)…….……….….
35. What income level corresponds to the total net monthly income of your household? (Sum of all salaries, social subsidies, capital benefits, etc.)? (Tick the respective box)
Your answer will be completely confidential however highly necessary for statistical analysis of results.
Less than LVL 100 LVL 500 – 600 LVL 1000 – 1200 LVL 100 – 200 LVL 600 – 700 LVL 1200 - 1400 LVL 200 – 300 LVL 700 – 800 LVL 1400 – 1600 LVL 300 – 400 LVL 800 – 900 LVL 1600 – 1800 LVL 400 – 500 LVL 900 - 1000 More than LVL 1800
36. Are you a member or donor to an Environmental or Nature protection organisation?
Yes
No
VI- SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS QUESTIONNAIRE
37. Did you find any difficulties in responding to this questionnaire?
Yes No If yes, on which specific issues and questions?
………
………..
38. How sufficient was the information given to you in the questionnaire in order to build your view point about your financial contribution?
Not sufficient Sufficient More than sufficient
39. Would you have any additional remarks and comments?
…
Remarks of the interviewer
If more than a one person take part in the interview
If the respondent returned back to change the given WTP value of the
chosen scenario when discussing his WTP of the maximum scenario
If the “conditional” willingness to pay
Other…