To determine the willingness to pay (WTP) for a hypothetical groundwater protection plan in Dover, New Hampshire, a mail contingent valuation survey was conducted. The median WTP value among Dover residents was estimated to be $40 per household, and the community WTP value is estimated to be at least $100,000 annually for a groundwater protection plan. The assessed land values of respondents as well as their incomes were shown to positively influence their WTP values, while their ages had a negative influence on WTP. A variety of other socioeconomic variables were shown to have no influence on individuals WTP for groundwater protection. This research illustrates a methodology that other researchers, and water resource managers can use to estimate the value which people place on various water resources and can help to predict whether water policies and projects will be accepted by the public.
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